Scars
by samantha-darling
Summary: REVAMPING!The gang finds themselves stalled in a tiny, little town i the middle of nowhere and about to come face to face with the terrible secret buried inside its walls...and how it all pertains to one little Insurance Girl...slight VxM..Complete!
1. Nightmares

She was running and running. From what she still had no clue but every fiber in her body was screaming at her to just run. She was frightened, no, terrified. It was dark all around her fleeing legs but she could hear her footfalls echo. And then it became hard to run. Her body became lethargic and slow. She knew she could go faster but she kept going slower and slower. It was on her heels now. Their icy cold fingers were winding their way up her legs, pulling her down. She was falling, being dragged down to the cold depths of her dreams. And the terror intensified to the point where she no longer rationally thought. Pure panic raced through her every nerve and vein. And she could do nothing. She could just scream.

And she woke up screaming, catapulting up off the mattress. Her arms were outstretched as if reaching for something at the foot of her bed, but as the feeling of hot tears began to spill down her cheeks she brought her hands up to hide her face.

"Meryl? Meryl, are you all right?" Someone's voice washed over her, their hands touching her shoulder, icy fingers. She still wasn't thinking clearly as she flinched away from them, off the bed and over to a darker area of the room. Once there she curled her knees to her chest and shook.

The door burst open, slamming so hard against the wall it bounced back into the people rushing into the room. She still didn't want to look, still covering her face with her hands. The tears had stopped and she was trying to think, trying to remember what she was doing, who she was, where she was. Who were these people? There were soothing voices all around her, two masculine and the familiar feminine one all asking her what was wrong, Meryl what's wrong, talk to us Meryl, please.

Meryl. That was her name. Meryl…What was her last name? Stryfe. Yes that was it. She worked for an insurance company but the name eluded her. Who were these people? How did they know her? Think Meryl think.

"Meryl, come on snap out of it." Their tone was still gentle but firmer, almost panicky. A strong grip came down on her shoulders, a warmer grip, not the icy hands. She decided it was okay now to take her palms away from her eyes.

The first thing her shaky eyes met was her coworker's face, filled with worry. Then she focused and realized she knew all of these people. They were her friends: Millie, Vash, Wolfwood. They weren't the cold hands that had nearly smothered her in her sleep.

She wanted to grab Millie's shirt and cry into her chest, tell them all what had scared her so in her dream but the concern in their eyes brought a hot blush of embarrassment to her cheeks and she felt suddenly ashamed of her reaction. Her first instinct was to unfurl her legs and stand so she reached out to steady herself on the wall as her shaky knees began to rise.

Millie rose with her from her crouched position still holding onto her shoulders. Good thing too, she thought warily, because her legs were wobbling so badly she wasn't sure if they would support her.

"Meryl, are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?" Millie asked. Her hair was strewn all about her face, her eyes no longer sleepy but wide awake. Meryl looked into them, fear rapidly disappearing from her body. Now all she could feel was scalding humiliation and she averted her eyes promptly to the dusty wooden floor.

"Yeah. Bad dream." Her nonchalant tone wasn't very convincing. She could tell because Wolfwood and Vash raised their eyebrows instantly. Vash looked her up and down, quickly sizing her up. She instantly disliked his attention, and how they fueled the blush staining her face.

"Some dream. Are you all right?" Wolfwood threw out. The priest's tone was also worried. Hell, they were all worried, that was obvious. Meryl wiggled out from under Millie's hands and ran a hand through her hair, frowning in disgust at the cold sweat still beading from her forehead.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Vash offered. Meryl paused for a moment to shoot him a look and then shook her head.

"Well I'm fine. It was just a dream, it's not a big deal." Speaking about it brought back the memories she had of the fear she felt and she fought a shiver. All she wanted to do was snuggle back into her covers and get a blissful night of sleep. Instead, she threw on a robe the bartender had graciously allowed them to borrow and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Wolfwood asked. He and Vash had begun to follow her while Millie began to look around for her slippers.

"I'm thirsty so I'm going down for a drink. Go back to bed." And then, with the nightmare hardly forgotten but composure reinstated, Meryl walked down the creaky stairwell and out into the bar.

She took the liberty of pouring herself a glass of water. The hand holding the glass was shaking still and when she poured the ice cubes in it began to make a horrid clanking noise. Finally, Meryl just set it down with a frustrated sigh and stared off into the shadows uneasily.

It wasn't the first time she had had the dream. In fact for a few months since she began tracking down Vash the Stampede she'd been having it. But not this bad. Never this bad. She shivered at the thought again. The shadows around the bar seemed to be undulating before her eyes and she clutched at herself before looking around for the light switch.

She finally spotted the antique light switch near the back of the bar and she padded around the counter and flipped it. The lights flickered for a moment, buzzing as if in protest, and then hummed to life.

It was a very nice saloon considering the rest of the town was falling apart, furnished with all sorts of wood and metal. It wasn't the largest she had ever been in, but it was big enough to house quite the rowdy crowd, as they had seen when they got in earlier that evening. All the tables had been full and some people were even using the pool table for their drinks and food. The counter was a solid line of jeans and suspenders, though a few polite men had stood and offered their seats to her and Millie as they moved down towards the bartender.

And the bartender…

Meryl frowned as her eyes swept over the area she had first seen the red-headed woman, one hand swathed in a dish rag, the other clutching a large glass mug. She was laughing and chatting easily with all the men. Her face was genial and lightly lined, the only clue that she wasn't as young as some of the other girls flitting about the room. Her red hair had been swept back into a messy ponytail, blazing a fiery trail down past her shoulder blades. It had caught the light beautiful as her head snapped over to them when they had begged her pardon and asked if she had vacancy for the night. She had stared at them for awhile, her eyes lingering on Meryl, and Meryl's eyes lingering on her. And then Wolfwood had asked again, and the spell was broken.

She led them up to the double set of rooms after most of her patrons had left. It was clear she was a little wary of them, cracking open the door and allowing them to go in ahead of her into the dusty rooms. After pointing out a few necessities, going to fetch a few requested items, and feeling their money in the palm of her hand, she left, with one last long look at Meryl, who had pretended not to notice.

Meryl yawned involuntarily. She should try and get some rest. It was almost morning and Vash, Wolfwood, and Millie would be up early and raring to go. She tapped at the untouched glass of water and then poured it out in the sink, pushing the ice cubes into the drain and replacing the glass back in its line. Without a second thought, she flipped the light switch and then practically ran for the stairs, not looking back into the darkness and what she feared might be watching her from the inky depths.

A/notes: My first Trigun fic. I'll warn you ahead of time I'm an angsty romantic so there will be a definite V/M pairing. Also, I'm not too familiar w/ the series but I've got the basic idea. Hence that I'm not sure w/ Meryl's past so I'm making one up. That's the basis of the story. I dun care if u hated it or loved it but review if it tickles you.

EDIT: Upon reading this one night, I was a little shocked at how awful my writing was and all the errors, grammatical and plot-wise…So its become my little project in between chapters of the book I am writing, to make this something I can be proud of once again. Enjoy!


	2. Missing Children and Murder

A warm touch, soft and gentle, engulfed her arm, shaking her and asking her to wake up. When she did finally open her eyes, Meryl saw a wide-awake Millie hovering over her.

"Good morning, ma'm!" The brunette chirped. Satisfied that her partner was awake, The taller woman pulled the blinds on the windows up letting the previously filtered sunlight flood the room. Meryl lifted an arm to shield her eyes from the intrusion. Her still-asleep mind was fuzzy but she managed a weak glare at Millie.

"What time is it?"

"It's about 11 o' clock. I would have woken you up earlier, but I heard you come back to bed late…" Millie's cheerful blue eyes looked over concernedly at Meryl as she trailed off.

"Oh. Thank you, Millie, but I wouldn't have minded." Meryl's mind replayed the events of the night before and she shut her eyes tightly to try and block the memory. She rose from her pillow and untangled her legs from the sheets. Her clothes were all ready for her, hanging off the back of a nearby chair.

"There's breakfast downstairs. Vash and Wolfwood already went done to get some." Millie informed her as she handed her articles of clothing to her with a bright smile.

"Thanks Millie. Why don't you go on ahead and I'll meet you down there in a second." Meryl smiled back at her companion as the woman left, closing the door behind her. She stared at the door for a more seconds before hanging her head into her palms. She wasn't exactly eager to go downstairs and spend breakfast with the boys. No doubt the air would be tense, her actions hanging over all of them like a fog.

She shivered involuntarily and looked around the room once more before picking up the clothes Millie had laid in her lap.

'Come on Meryl. Let's not dwell on it anymore. Just put your clothes on and get your rear down there.'

-------

Vash finished off the rest of his beer and smiled sweetly at the bartender, named Molly he had discovered, who smiled back at him and leaned across the counter.

"I bet ye be havin' another one, eh laddie?"

"Only if you'll give me another one." The woman took the glass from the counter and filled it up to the brim, foam running down the edges of the glass onto the polished wood surface.

"I hope ye boys 'ave got the money for this." She commented, wiping her hands on her dirty apron. Wolfwood, who was sitting on the right of Vash, popped another pretzel into his mouth. He looked at the sparse breakfast menu she had handed him earlier, and then eyed her with a cynical frown.

"Of course. We had the money to pay for those crappy rooms, didn't we?" He quipped.

"I'm back." All three turned as Millie shut the door leading to the stairway. She smiled slightly and sat down on the empty seat next to Vash and waved to Molly who simply nodded at her and set down a glass of water in front of her.

"How is she?" The gunman asked, trying to keep a lot of the worry out of his voice. He hadn't known Meryl Stryfe long but if he knew one thing about that woman it was that she didn't have a frightened bone in her body. Seeing her last night, huddled in a corner, shaking horribly, had really thrown him for a loop. Wolfwood too. Once they had gotten back into their room, They talked about the little incident for nearly an hour before Vash fell asleep.

Wolfwood leaned in a little closer then, his shoulder resting heavily on Vash's.

"Yeah, how is the small girl doing? Gave us a friggin' heart attack last night." He growled.

"Better I suppose. But that doesn't mean I'm not worried. I've never seen Meryl behave like that before." Millie ran a hand through her hair and picked up her water. She gave a small thank you before taking a large gulp, all of them seemingly oblivious to Molly's piercing gaze.

------

Deciding it would be wise to take a shower, Meryl had set aside her clothes and walked into the adjacent bathroom. Millie must have already used it because the towels were slightly damp and hung in a disorderly way. Meryl grumbled and then smiled to herself thinking about her friend and partner as she fixed the towels.

The minute she stepped under the hot spray of the shower she knew she had made the right choice. Warm water splashed over her tired body, soothing the aches and pains of her mind as well as the stiff neck she had acquired. She ran her hands over her hair, scraping the water down with her hands. Lucky for her Millie hadn't used all the shampoo she had managed to get at the last general store they had happened upon.

She stepped out after a few more minutes, not wanting to use all the hot water in case either of the boys wanted to shower before they left. She imagined they would be on the road again just after breakfast. There was nothing to keep them here in this god forsaken town and it was always best to make themselves scarce before someone realized who Vash was.

------

The door slammed open, rattling the shelves and everything on their surface. The family looked up from their breakfast, wondering what was with the intrusion. The man stood up from the table, his greying beard shaking in indignation as the person in the doorway stepped into the room.

"Leo!"

"Come on, Dave. We got to go."

"Leo I am eating breakfast with my family." Dave motioned to his wife and two children, two little girls with brunette plaits. Leo, a dusty man looking the same age as Dave, tipped his hat to the women.

"It's important Dave. There's been another report-"

"Go Dave. I'll save your breakfast." He looked to his wife, a mousey little woman in a calico-like dress and an apron. She smiled up at him and nodded.

"Alright. Let me just get my gun Leo."

The two men strode quickly away from the house, Leo talking quickly but in hushed tones.

"Gray Davenport got home early this morning from a business trip. Said he got into the house and there was nothing. Found his wife shot to just outside the house and his three boys missing."

Dave gave his beard a good tug. He had never felt more frustrated in his life. In all his years of being sheriff of this little good-for-nothing town, He had never seen anything like this. Of course there had been the last time...But that was 12 years ago. Things had changed and there was no reason there should be another rash of these incidents, now more random and more violent.

"Sheriff McKinsley?" Dave looked up from his broodings. He hadn't even noticed Leo stop in front of the Davenport home. The officer in front of him had outstretched his hand. Dave took it, not liking the grip the man had to him but merely gave him a solemn nod.

"Leo already informed me. What evidence do we have, boy?" The officer shuffled through some papers before handing a couple over to Dave. He paged through them, each one more a dead-end then the last one. The young officer must have been sensing his superior's irritation because he at once began to babble.

"There was no sign of breaking and entering, no struggle besides a couple of chairs in odd places and toys all about the place. From Mrs. Davenport's position we're guessing she had her back turned to her attacker and was getting something from their cellar." After he had spouted off all this information he knew, The officer stood smartly by the sheriff's side waiting for orders. Instead the grizzled old man walked up to the home and inside.

"Where's Gray?" Leo asked the young man. He relaxed a little and pointed over towards the jailhouse.

"The others took him back there for questioning. Poor Gray, he's an absolute mess Leo." Leo patted the officer on the shoulder before setting off towards the jailhouse.

------

Meryl descended the stairs dressed in crisp white uniform and fresh for the day. The shower had washed away all remnants of the dream down the drain with all the dirt and grime and she felt more prepared to deal with any questions or jokes the boys might have for her. But when she got to the bottom of the stairs, the scene wasn't exactly one she was prepared for.

She blinked and looked around. The bartender was standing at the door, quietly conversing with an older man with a silver badge and twin guns at his side. Vash, Wolfwood, and Millie were sitting at the bar, pretending to mind their own business but Meryl knew each of them was straining to hear. Millie looked over towards the door and noticing Meryl there eagerly waved her over.

"What's going on?" Meryl questioned as she seated herself.

"We're not entirely sure. The Sheriff just came in and wanted to talk to Molly. Something about another incident." Meryl's eye brows perked up. Another incident? That didn't exactly sound promising. Meryl's stomach only dropped further when the sheriff walked over to the bar, his spurs jangling. He set himself just next to Wolfwood, who was closest. His eyes roved over his covered Cross Punisher, and continued to Vash.

"Mind if I ask you fine folks a couple of questions?" He drawled.

"Sure Sheriff! What can we help you with sir?" Vash piped up, a goofy smile adorning his face. Meryl rolled her eyes and let her forehead drop into her hand. The morning hadn't exactly started off well, but it had looked for a moment to be improving. Now she had a nasty feeling that they were about to become prime suspects in something crime related.

"What were you all doing last night? After Molly here closed up the saloon?" The Sheriff watched all of their faces carefully, Molly standing slightly behind him, her eyes trained only on Meryl. Meryl caught her stare, but looked away, which caught the Sheriff's attention. He slowly strode over to stand beside her, on the other side of the counter.

"We all went to sleep, Sheriff. We're travelers, it had been a rough day. Why? Has something happened?" She politely responded. Molly moved closer, her eyes narrowing with each step, and it was then that Meryl noticed something about her she hadn't before. She suddenly felt the room begin to close in around her and she had to close her eyes momentarily to try and regain her bearings.

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there's been a kidnapping and a murder, and it just happens to coincide with when you all arrived. Let me remind you all you're entirely innocent until proven guilty, so let's not get defensive when I ask you here to come down to the station with me." The Sheriff patted Meryl on the shoulder and then pulled himself off the counter. " Day to you Mol." He said with a tip of his hat. Molly smiled and nodded but the grin quickly disappeared as there was a commotion from outside.

"Sheriff!" A young man, obviously nerve wracked, erupted from the open doorway, grabbing the sheriff's arm in his shaking hand. "The culprits and the kids are in town! They're trying to make it out the northern exit!" The sheriff left with the boy after exchanging a severe look with Molly. The woman in turn ran back to the counter and reached under the shelves there. She rose with a very large gun.

"You three stay here and don't ye leave this place 'til I get back, ye hear? Don't ye go followin' me!" Molly ran her eyes over all of them before stopping at Meryl.

Meryl stared back into the green sparkling eyes of the bartender, willing her to look away, pleading with her in her mind to say nothing, to leave.

"Stay here." Molly repeated one last time and then bolted for the door.

"What was that about?" Vash asked, watching the doorway before turning back to Meryl. They were all watching her now, curious as to why she seemed to have this rapport with the bartender. Meryl shook her head and grabbed Millie's glass of water.

"How should I know?" She mumbled. This wasn't how the day was supposed to go.

Notes: Sorry for the wait but I wasn't sure how I was gonna go about putting my storyline to writing. But I got a clue now so the next chapter will be out soon.Next chapter: Some good old gunfighting! or at least the best I can write. Action was never my strong pointAgain review with the urge tickles you..hehehe


	3. Car Chase Act 1

Meryl focused all her attention on the pool table before her, pretending to harshly study the position of the pool balls and which to hit where. But she couldn't help but be completely consumed by the fact that all three of her companions were staring at her.

"What?" Wolfwood finally managed. He stuck a pinky in his ear and twisted it around in a comical fashion before blinking a few times. "Did I hear you right?"

"Meryl, we've got to go and help them!" Millie started. She stood up and walked over next to her smaller companion.

"We don't need to help anyone!" Meryl snapped, gripping the pool stick tighter in her fist. She was afraid she might bring it down on the table, most likely snapping it in two.

"Why not? We're here, we're not doing anything productive. Besides, maybe Molly will shave off some of the charges on our bill!" Vash piped up. She glanced up at him, a flush staining her cheeks again. He had smiled sheepishly and then the smile had faded and now he was just staring at her, as if noticing her in the room for the first time.

"I just don't think its very practical. You know the trouble we always get into when we meddle in things we're not supposed to." Meryl reasoned.

"What if they need help? Something serious is going on, you can hear the gun shots clear as day, can't you?" Wolfwood bristled. He was the dark cloud between Vash and Millie's bright beacon-like clothing and it was even more fitting that there was a wispy trail of cigarette smoke curling about his head. It hung in the still air, filtering through the sunlight coming through the windows, and Meryl sighed as it curled about inside her mind. Her training at Bernardelli had at least taught her one thing and that was to avoid trouble at all costs. But now, all she seemed to be doing nowadays, was running headlong into it.

"I think we should see what we can do." Millie's quiet voice interrupted her thoughts. It surprised Meryl to the extent that she just started speaking.

"We'd just get in the way. The people have it covered out there. You saw how many drove by. And you know how Trouble is Vash's middle name." She set the pool stick against the wall. Personally she just wanted to hide in a corner. Her reasoning didn't seem to have the desired effect, however, and Wolfwood popped off his stool and grabbed his cross weapon with one hand.

"That's it?" She vaguely heard Wolfwood reply. That damn Priest. Who cared if it was an unholy thought but at the moment she would have absolutely loved to just turn around and cram her fist so far down his throat he wouldn't be able to ever speak again.

Vash just watched her, watched her move, watched her expressions, but he mostly watched her eyes. He had never known Meryl to back down from aiding people in need. Why was she so hasty to get out of this one? Questions to which no answers were forming. He sighed and rested his artificial hand along the counter. Girls. They sure were hard to figure out.

"No! That's not it! It's just..I..Molly told us that we, under no circumstance, were to leave. So, shouldn't we listen?" Meryl's question took on a pleading tone. She looked around at all of them, Millie standing next to her, Wolfwood and Vash leaning on the counter, staring at her as if she had just been spouting off utter nonsense.

"Well if you're not going, that's fine. But I'm going. Vash, you coming?" Wolfwood said, flicking his cigarette into the ash tray and taking off through the door. Vash looked back and forth for a moment or two, and then with an apologetic smile towards Meryl, dashed for the exit. Millie was right behind him, though she paused at the door.

"You coming ma'm?" She asked innocently. Meryl shook her head at the sight. She reluctantly took a few steps forward, hesitating as another explosive round of gunfire erupted, spraying dust and screams into the air. Millie turned towards her and pulled her stun gun from her coat with a smile. "Come on Meryl, before we lose Mr. Wolfwood and Mr. Vash!"

It was then that a grim sense of revelation came over Meryl. She looked about the bar with as a chill came over her. It was all too familiar, all too real, and she felt powerless against the tide that was pulling her. Before she knew it, Millie had grabbed her arm and was pulling her out onto the porch, where the gun fight could be seen down just a few blocks. Already Vash's red coat was disappearing into the dust.

"Ready?" Millie asked as they brusquely took off in the direction of the gun fire. Meryl didn't think she was, but she ripped two derringers from her coat and gave an absent nod.

------

Molly ducked quickly behind the truck as bullets peppered it's other side. She skillfully reloaded her gun. With a fast look around her, The woman deducted where the shooters were and who they were shooting at. A bullet whizzed over head lodging itself in an adjacent building and she jumped and cursed.

"Damn, Molly! They've never been this determined before!" She looked to her right where the Sheriff was nursing a bleeding shoulder.

"They've got what they came for, McKinsly, They'll be wanting a way out, fast enough."

"Did you say children?" Twin voices broke out amongst the gunfire and Molly jumped slightly and wondered why the hell she hadn't realized the two boys from the saloon crouching right next to her.

"Damn it all to hell! Didn't I tell you lads to stay in the bloody saloon? Where it's safe?" A few more bullets whizzed overhead, once grazing the top part of the truck's bed.

"They're getting better Molly! We're lucky you parked the front end of this damned thing behind a building! Otherwise I'm sure we'd be dead by now!" The Sheriff was having some trouble reloading his gun, the wound in his shoulder gushing blood. Molly leaned over and ripped a part of her apron off. She wound the cloth around the man's arm, tying it tightly and patting it afterwards.

"Nothing special, McKinsly but it'll sure stop ye bleeding to death like a stuck pig." Then she turned her wrath back on the two boys, the Priest and the clod in the red leather. But they were gone.

------

Wolfwood and Vash had crept up to where the Sheriff and Molly were stationed and deciding, well maybe just temporarily agreeing, that the two were safe where they were, headed off to get a view of just who they were going to be firing at. It was Vash's idea to scale a nearby building to get an aerial view, and so he left Wolfwood with his heavy weapon grumbling at the bottom.

Millie and Meryl caught up soon enough. They found Wolfwood at the bottom, eagerly looking up at the fire escape.

"What's going on?" Millie called out. Wolfwood pointed up.

"Vash's trying to get a better look at what's going on. If you want to go up there, be my guest, I'm not lugging this thing all the way up just to come back down again."

Millie stared worriedly upwards, and then back down towards Molly and the Sheriff, who were practically taking pot shots at the almost unceasing gunfire from the parallel street.

"Maybe we should help them while Mr. Vash is up there! They look like they're having a hard time!" Millie suggested. Wolfwood turned to look. He seemed torn, glancing back up towards the fire escape and back at Molly and the Sheriff. The priest gave a loud groan and picked up his weapon.

"Big girl, you're with me. Shorty, you stay here and wait for Vash!"

Meryl opened her mouth to protest but they had already taken off down the street. She glanced up helplessly towards the top of the building, silently pleading for Vash to reappear with some semblance of good news. After a few gun-shot filled minutes, Meryl stamped her feet and nearly threw down her derringers in frustration.

"This wasn't my goddamn idea!" She shouted. In her fit, she threw herself at the escape ladder, ready to climb up there and see just what was taking Vash so long when something to her left caught her eye and she took a few steps backwards to peer down into an abandoned alleyway. There was a jeep and two men, cloaked and secretive, piling three kids into the back. With surreptitious glances, the two men threw a large tarp over bed and jumped into the front. Perplexed at first, the light bulb suddenly turned on in Meryl's head, and she at once realized who they were, what they were doing, and why the gun battle was so intense.

"Hey! Vash! HEEEEY!" She cried. She moved forward to go and get help, but her cries had alerted the driver, and suddenly the car was pealing around the corner. "Damnit!" Throwing her Derringers back into their holster, Meryl took off in pursuit, running down the alley in hopes to at least see what direction the car had headed in. She turned the corner just as Vash was coming down the fire escape. She didn't hear him call her name. Her mind was focused on only one thing.

The car's dust cloud was still large as it took off out of town and Meryl, giving her friends not a second thought, jumped into a nearby jeep and tested the keys. The jeep sputtered to life and Meryl gave a quick relieved sigh. She didn't look back as she sped off, following the tracks in the sand. She didn't see Vash waving his arms. She didn't hear him calling her.

------

She couldn't explain it but in times like these words were of no importance. It erupted inside her stomach, bursting up and up like an exploding volcano. Anger, sadness mixed with painful memories and youthful tears had finally broiled to the point of no return. She stomped the gas pedal harder and cursed under her breath. Besides, she tried to reason, if she could take care of everything herself, then maybe Vash wouldn't have to get involved and it would save everyone a lot of trouble.

Meryl's foot dug into the gas pedal, literally flattening it as the car sped to catch up with the fleeing party. Once they realized they had been spotted, The driver wasted no time in hurrying his getaway. Her sweaty hands gripped the wheel, her tight grip enough to keep them from slipping on the leather. Determination filled her veins and she urged the damn car to go faster. She would stop them, she would save the kids, and they could leave and never look back.

Suddenly, the car in front of her turned sending a spray of sand into the wind and came to a screeching halt. Meryl blinked. They had led her out of the city and into the desert. But why? Where were they going? She looked closer at the idling vehicle and noticed with a eerie calm that the passenger had set up a powerful looking gun and had it aimed right at her car.

-------

Vash would never have holstered his gun in an all out brawl like this but driving required two hands, at least driving at excessive speeds. So he secured his .45 Colt Custom in its leather sheath and began to desperately search for an operational vehicle. He then remembered Wolfwood's motorcycle, parked neatly outside the bar, and he ran like the wind back to Molly's. He pealed back out towards the alley and hoped that the motorcycle wouldn't give out on him before he could catch up. Before he could get out, however, Wolfwood had dove in front of him, blocking his path with a maniacal look.

"Where the hell are you going with my bike?!" He shouted.

"I'll explain later, just get a car and follow me as soon as possible!" Vash screamed at him. He revved the engine and quickly drove around Wolfwood, who shouted once more, but was promptly held back by a worried looking Millie.

"Mr. Priest!"

"What?"

"Meryl is gone!" Millie cried.

Wolfwood whipped around, and then turned back to see the dying dust cloud his motorcycle had kicked up.

"We need a car, Millie." He growled.

------

'What is she doing just running off like that? There's no way in hell she's gonna be able to beat those guys with Derringers!' He thought wildly. His mind kept showing him horrible images of what could happen and he put on his glasses to try and shake them. Thankfully he could see the tracks left by the vehicles, and even see some of the sand they were kicking up in the distance.

"Hold on, Meryl. I'm coming." He said to the roaring engine as he accelerated and prayed.

A/notes: Oo I am evil aren't I? MWAHAHAHAHAHA!! The idea came to me so I had to write it. Enjoy the fast chappies while you can, fellow My inspiration tends to blink like a dying bulb. ;) If your lucky, Chapter 4 will be out sometime tomorrow morning/afternoon. Ciao!


	4. Car Chase Act 2

Molly wiped her hand across her forehead. It was slick with sweat. She was in pretty good shape for a woman of her age but now, she was perspiring under all the stress.

"Here you go, Moll." The red-head raised her head to the voice. It was Sheriff McKinsly with a beer bottle.

"Thank ye, Dave. How long do ye think these men'll keep up?"

"Until they get the all clear's signal I imagine. But otherwise, I'd be wagering they've got only 30 minutes of ammo left."

"How's Grey doing?" She asked in between gulps. McKinsly winced softly and put a hand to his hat. After repositioning it he sighed.

"Not so good. But who could expect him to be calm and cool? His wife was killed and his children were kidnapped by gun toting brigands. How would you feel?" Molly's demeanor shifted slightly, from concerned to sad.

"You know how I'd be feeling, Dave." McKinsly soon realized his mistake and stroked his moustache with two fingers.

"Yeah. Pardon me, Molly. I tend to forget these things in my old age." Molly finished off the beer, rising from her crouching position behind the nearest building they could find refuge behind. Wanting to change the topic, She looked around. The streets were an empty, dusty wasteland with debris scattered all over. Almost all of the windows in the neighboring buildings had been shot out. There was no one to be seen. Of course if they were smart they'd all be hiding, waiting for someone to make a move that would decide how this would all end.

"Where'd those youngsters get to?"

"Not sure myself Molly. Little strange how they pop up and disappear-""Oh be quiet Dave. You're paranoid."

"And wouldn't you be?" His tone was laced with well restrained anger. Molly looked to him, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm an excellent judge of character, Dave. Besides, you can't suspect everyone who runs into town. And one of them was a priest!" McKinsly nodded but in a sarcastic way.

"They come in all shapes and forms Molly. Or can't you remember? I'd think you would. After all you were supposed to be watching them-"

"One more word out of your mouth, David Laine McKinsly and I swear to the Merciful Mary that I'll blow your damn moustache off. You're quick to open up other people's old wounds but so reluctant to do the same to yours. We were all hurtin' Dave but ye got to realize that was almost 12 years ago. We've moved on."

"But they never got the chance. Bill and Merle didn't either."

"Shut up damnit! Don't you have something better to then cause me pain?" Molly turned away from him, peeking around the corner of the building, unshed tears shimmering in her emerald eyes. Her sharp hearing picked up McKinsly walking away but something else. She turned to her right to see the priest and the tall, buxom brunette hurrying towards her. There was nothing following them but a trail of dust, and Molly's thoughts immediately turned to the short dark-haired girl.

She shut her eyes, trying to reclaim her cool composure. It was so like that damned man to disturb her in the hours of need. She knew he still held that grudge against her, like a lot of them had done until-

'No Molly, stop thinking about it. Just stop. Now get ahold of yourself.' She rubbed her forehead once more before they stopped in front of her, panting and sweating in the noonday heat.

"Where'd you two get off too? And where's your other friends?" Molly barked.

"We need a car." The priest said bluntly.

------

She stared down the two men, knowing full well that the firearms inside her cape were nothing compared to the gun they had set up. They had come to a complete stop when suddenly the car, gunned it, turning sharply and going back in the direction it had come. She swore, now knowing what they idiots had been doing. They thought they had scared her off. Obviously she wasn't dealing with overly smart kidnappers. Thank god too.

Underneath her white cape, weighted down by the Derringers, Meryl Stryfe was sweating like a pig. Her car chase still had not ended and glancing in her rearview mirror she found the town growing more and more distant. Her eyes then went back to being fixated on the ugly, rusted, turquoise blue truck in front her. Something didn't feel right to her and she narrowed her eyes as she put the jeep back into gear and it lurched forward in hot pursuit.

'Whew! I don't remember it ever being this hot!' She thought, taking one hand away from the steering wheel to wipe her face. Of course it didn't help she was clad in a long sleeved shirt and a cape with not a bit of skin bare to the comfortable breeze. She didn't know if it was a natural breeze of just made by her speed but it felt nice as it pushed her soaked hair from her face.

Meryl winced slightly at her rash behavior. If she didn't pull this off, then no one knew what had happened or where she had gone off too. Failure was not an option, no matter how you looked at it. Her mind flashed to the children in the bed of the other car and she squeezed her eyes shut as if an eyelash or grain of sand had gotten caught behind her lashes. It was washing over her now, wave upon wave, but she refused to drown in the onslaught of bad memories so easily.

She was brought back to reality when something went 'pang' against the hood of her car. Instinctively, Meryl jumped as whatever it was ricocheted past her ear. Even as it passed she could feel intense heat radiating off of it. The men in front of the car were finally shooting at her. And he didn't have bad aim.

Meryl quickly dug deep into her cape and pulled a Derringer out of its holster but then, after glancing at their weaponry, she remembered her Derringers would do no harm. She first thought it would have been smart to blow out their tire but going at excessive speeds in this terrain the plan probably would have wreaked disastrous ends. And she knew what she had to: Protect the children at all costs. The machine gun fired, peppering the ground before her with bullets. A steady trail of exploding sand wound its way up to her car and she barely was able to dodge the streamline.

'This is crazy! I can't just follow them like this until one of us runs out of ammo or gas!' Thinking things through was Meryl Stryfe's way of doing things but Derringer Meryl was practically an entirely other person. She was just about to speed up when something dark moved into the corner of her eye.

She looked to her right quickly, noticing Wolfwood's motorcycle driven by a certain flaxen-haired outlaw. He didn't even acknowledge her really until he jumped into her speeding vehicle. Meryl's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as he landed in the backseat. Grinning like a madman he climbed into the front seat, .45 Colt Custom in his gloved hand and ready for whatever action it's owner deemed appropriate. She looked behind her at the motorcycle and found it rolling over and finally settling in a heap.

"Hey."

"Mr. Wolfwood is going to kill you." Meryl said simply turned her attention back to the matter at hand which was driving and trying to avoid the spray of bullets coming at her every few seconds.

"Yeah. So, got a plan?" Vash called over the roar of the engine. The ride had gotten a little bumpier and he had to now try and hold on or risk flying up and out.

"I did before you showed up, and let me tell you, it didn't involve any outlaws!" She gave an exasperated sigh and looked to Vash. He was looking at her, sunglasses down the elegant bridge of his nose so he could look at her without seeing in a tinted orange color.

"So, we're winging it! Excellent!" He shouted back. "Speed up!" Meryl rolled her eyes and gunned it, her booted foot pressing hard on the gas pedal so it was nearly flat on the floor. The car zoomed ahead so that both of their bodies lurched backwards. Meryl was finding it kind of hard to steer but she didn't complain. Vash didn't either, instead concentrating completely on the task at hand.

They were catching up with the car ahead of them. Through the smudged windshield she could decipher that Mr. Machine Gun was reloading and almost ready for another go. She growled low under her breath.

"Not this time. Not this time." She repeated through clenched teeth. Vash's eyes were on her but she didn't care. Her mind was on bigger things than him.

Mr. Machine Gun let loose another round. Thankfully the pattern was very much the same and Meryl could easily see the trail the bullets left in the sand thus making it easy to dodge. Her small frame bounced in her seat as they flew over another bump. Vash watched her out of the corner of her eye, almost enraptured by her sudden vitality.

They were close enough now that Vash was pretty sure he could get a clear shot. He stood up in the car, leaning over the windshield. Training his aim on the man's gun stand, he shot watching as it fell away. The large gun clattered to the floor and bounced out of the car, rolling a little ways into the sand. But it wasn't over. Not by a long shot. The car sputtered slightly and it gave a huge lurch. It sent Vash sprawling over the windshield, barely hanging on. After crawling back into the car with some difficulty, He looked accusingly at Meryl.

"It's not my fault! We're running out of gas! Hurry up and finish this!" She commanded. Vash rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses before glancing at her. She wasn't looking at him anymore but the road in front, or more like desert. But there was something in her eyes. Something that burned.

"Vash! What are you doing?!" The tall gunman snapped to attention and turned ready to shoot. What he saw froze him cold. The car had turned around, fast, and was now speeding towards them. No, right at them! He was sure that they wouldn't have tried anything after their long-range weapon had been destroyed but a black gleam came from both sides of the car.

"Turn! Turn!" He shouted at Meryl who seemed frozen in her seat. Finally it registered and she spun the steering wheel around until it couldn't go any further. Vash fell back into the passenger side as the vehicle barely missed the bandit's car. He hit the seat hard and his hands flew up, his gun flying into the backseat. Two gunshots rang out, one bullet whizzing over his head. He didn't know where the other one was, only that the car was now tipping over from the speed they had been going at and the sharp turn.

As the jeep rolled over, Vash heard his gun clatter. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw it fly from the seat and off somewhere into the sand. He watched as Meryl rolled over onto him, her mouth open in shock and her eyes wide with surprise. Vash wrapped his long arms around her. All he could do was hold on as the car uncontrollably rolled. Suddenly, as it landed for the third time on right side up, it stopped, rocking back and forth and leaving the two shaken in the front seat.

"Remind me never to let you drive again." He said, reluctantly unfolding his arms from around her and feeling for his glasses. Vaguely he became aware of something warm and wet seeping through his glove. Vash stopped and looked down.Meryl was still wide eyed, her mouth slightly parted. Her breathing was irregular, almost as if she was having difficulty breathing. Her hands spasmodically clutched at his red leather trench coat, grasping the folds in throes of what could only be agony.

The liquid staining his glove was blood.

Vash's green eyes widened as he peeled off his glove and felt the warmth spreading over the back of her cloak. He pulled his hand away and looked down at it. All of his digits and some of his palm had been coated crimson, as if someone had ran a paint brush over it.

------

Millie gasped, looking up over the hood of the truck Molly had offered them. Wolfwood was at her side in an instant.

"What? What is it?"

"They're leaving!" She cried out, pointing as a line of fast-moving vehicles tore down the street behind them.

"What does that mean, Mr. Priest?" Wolfwood left the driver's side door open and ran towards the end of the alley, jumping up on the porch of the bar. His navy eyes carefully watched the direction the cars were heading in and then he jogged off down towards the end of the road. There was a thin line of smoke slightly off to the west, and the line had already began to head off in an adjacent direction. He narrowed his eyes and grabbed hold of Millie, who had followed him closely and was shaking slightly in her large coat.

"Nothing good, big girl. Nothing good."

A/Note: YES! I've finally been able to get onto I've had this chapter done for quite awhile but the site wasn't loading..So sorry for the wait and sorry for the one coming up. I've got to go kick some butt w/ my horse County Fair Wednesday - Sunday so there probably won't be any updates until next week. Maybe you ppl'll get lucky again and I'll get one out by Tuesday. N e way, enjoy even if the suspense is killing you. And I'm quite inspired by your reviews. One more thing. THANKS TO ALL THE REVIEWERS OUT THERE!! - It's good to know there's some interest out there..hehehe..It's 2 in the morning and I g2g hit the sack..Ciao.


	5. Bandages

"Well Boss, you're 10 minutes late." He gulped, his hands balled into tight fists at his side. His large poncho flinched at the wind's gentle touch, it's rough yarn-like material brushing against his bare arms.

"Sorry. We were followed." He watched her delicate, pretty face contort into one of anger and scorn. Before he knew what had happened she had brought one petite hand up and slapped him hard. His head whipped to the side, a little bit of blood flying out among the saliva spouting from between his lips.

"Fool! Imbecile! I knew I shouldn't have sent you in today! What did you do about it?" Her harsh voice was like the howling wind. Boss flinched as she moved closer and grabbed a fistful of his poncho. She was almost the same height as him and he could see directly into her fury-filled blue eyes.

"We - We - Ray set up the machine gun and - and we shot at em - and one of them shot the gun off the car - so - so we rushed 'em and shot 'em up. They - they tipped their car over! They didn't screw anything up, honest Ms-"

"Shut up you bumbling oaf!" She violently let him go, pushing him away so that he stumbled backwards and fell. He looked up at the angry woman in fear. She glared at him for awhile longer before stalking over to the car, leaning against the bed of the truck.

"So first you start a shootout in Blue Sky City and then you're followed out of the god forsaken dust bowl where you endanger the cargo. And the worst part of it all is that my best gun is out there, rotting away in the desert!" The woman smirked unceremoniously. Boss gave a wary look to his partner who had edged away from the other side of the truck.

"We can go get it back." He offered. She laughed airily, reaching into the bed of the truck and hauled the tarp off with one, swift motion. Then, with one arm, she reach in and hauled each one of the children out.

"Stand up straight. I need to get a good look at my purchases." Boss looked away from the children. He wasn't proud of his job. In fact he went to bed every night begging God to forgive him even though he'd never forgive himself. Boss watched as the woman walked around the three boys in a circle. They were all terrified, he could tell, brown eyes closed tightly.

"Ms. Songbird, I -"

"Shut up Ray. I'm busy." Her voice was like honey, smooth and sweet but Boss knew better. His sore back could account for what she hid behind that voice. He lifted his cowboy hat off of his sweaty head, running his hand through the black hair underneath it, and then replacing the article back on his head. He assumed by then Ms. Songbird would be ready to rant and rave about his 'find' but she was still inspecting the boys.

Ms. Ebony Songbird wasn't old, maybe about 35 or so, at least that's what Boss had heard when he joined the business. Her hair, a natural ivory color, made her appear an old woman but her perfectly smooth face and vibrant cobalt eyes told everyone different. She also didn't dress the part of an older woman. She tied her hair up in a simple pony tail, decorated sometimes by a fancy ribbon or two that would color coordinate with her outfit, which was usually a seductive dress. Today, Boss noticed, she was dressed in just regular clothing. Ms. Songbird donned a sand-stained white shirt and tan dress pants held up with the ever fashionable suspenders. But nothing about her appearance, besides maybe her outstanding 6' 2" height, was more intimidating than the twin revolvers holstered on each hip and her wound-up leather whip.

"Well Boss, I must say these are better than last time." She removed the gag from the eldest looking boy, the only blonde headed one in the group.

"Open your eyes boy and tell me you and your brothers' names." It was a firm command. Boss tried sending a mental message to the boy to do what she said or face the consequences. He kept saying it over and over in his mind before the boy finally responded. Large, almond eyes stared ahead at the woman before switching over to Boss.

Ms. Songbird snapped her hand out, the ruby red nails catching on the soft flesh of the boy's skin. Forcefully she snapped his face back to hers and repeated her first order.

"Eric. The two others are twins, Milo and Todd." Eric answered. Boss closed his eyes for a second or two. The boy was trying to be brave, trying to protect his brothers while in the absence of his parents. Boss opened his eyes looking on as Ms. Songbird talked in hushed tones to him. Ray had killed the mother, shot her in the back. She was dead before she hit the floor.

"Alright Boss. I'll make an offer. 30 double-dollars for the twins and 40 double dollars for the blonde." Boss never refused an offer made by the woman in front of him. No amount of money could ever grant him peace and no amount of money could free the children from their new future.

------

At first, Vash had thought the dust on the western horizon was the enemy gunslingers and thus had gently but quickly moved himself and the injured Meryl behind the truck. He hoped they'd pass by without any trouble. Now was not the time to be wasting. Meryl needed help. He could feel her wasting away just as he held her against him, his arms becoming saturated with her blood.

Vash was quickly becoming panicked. After the danger had seemingly passed, he laid Meryl down in the sand and hopped up into the driver's seat. The keys were still in the ignition and he tried to start the jeep unsuccessfully.

"Damnit!"

"Vash…" Her voice was shaky and strained and Vash got out of the car to kneel by her side. The sand beneath her was beginning to darken as she reached out to grab his coat. He grabbed her hand encouragingly.

"Don't worry, Insurance girl, Big girl and Wolfwood know we're out here. They're coming soon. The Jeep won't start, so we just got to wait, okay?"

Meryl winced weakly and then gave a pained laugh.

"Wait to be rescued. How damsel like of me." Vash smiled.

"You just wait here, all right? I'm going to signal for them." He didn't wait for a response, simply got up and headed up a nearby dune. Halfway, a shine of silver caught his eye and he saw his gun barrel down into the sand. Vash rushed to grab it and gave it a tiny peck. He holstered it again before finally mounting the dune. Once there, he let out a sigh of relief. A single truck was drawing closer and in the back Vash could clearly see a giant white cross. He waved his arms back and forth, waiting for the flashing lights to signal that Wolfwood had seen him. The headlights flickered through the hazy heat coming from the sand. Vash ran back down the dune as fast as his long limbs could carry him, sliding to a stop next to the still form of Meryl.

"Hey, Insurance girl, the cavalry's arrived!" But Meryl didn't respond. Vash stopped short. Meryl's eyes were closed and she looked as if she were sleeping, though her chest was barely rising. The darkened sand beneath her had suddenly become a pool that he was kneeling in.

Millie and Wolfwood rounded the front of the car, waving the foul-smelling smoke away from their faces. Millie cried out as she saw the pair, tears trickling down her kind cheeks and she clutched at the collar of her clothing.

"Oh please no..Please no." She whispered quietly, her free hand coming to clutch her mouth. Wolfwood's eyes widened and he looked up into his friend's eyes waiting for an answer.

"They got away." Vash answered calmly then motioned to Meryl. "She needs help now."

" Come on. I'm sure there's someone back in the city." Wolfwood said. He helped Millie walk back around to the car, the two following Vash who had carefully scooped Meryl up. They all piled into the smaller vehicle, Millie in the front seat weeping, Wolfwood driving, and Vash in the bed with Meryl laid out, head on his lap, feet resting barely against the metal door.

"Where are the kids?" Wolfwood asked with a glare. Vash looked down at Meryl, down at the bloody backside of her coat and at her hair, the black strands jostling as the car wound its way over the bumps.

"It's alright, Mr. Vash." He looked up slowly, his eyes meeting that of Millie Thompson's. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears and even though there was an immeasurable amount of sadness in them, there was that one spark of hope that never faded. He smiled for her sake even if inside his stomach was churning with guilt.

"Yeah."

"What can't be helped can't be helped. We just got to get small girl here a good damn doctor."

Vash simply stared out at the blur of desert, wondering why trouble, blood, torment, and death never seemed to stop pursuing him.

------

Molly watched as the two sped away in her own, private car. She watched them drive quite a distance away before sighing and turning back with a wary sigh to the devastated town square down the road.

"Blue Sky City ain't so blue no more." Leo chided, walking up next to her. Together they stood near the porch of the bar, surveying the damage with twin eyes.

"It's never truly been blue, Leo. Sad to say a lot of old scars have been reopened even if they've never really been closed." Molly looked over to her trusting counterpart, her green eyes searching his tired, old face.

"Yeah, I s'pose you hit the nail die-rectly on the head there Moll. Like always. Hey, I couldn't help but notice, um, that girl, that came in with the three others-"

"Aye, I know. Looks just like her, doesn't she? I talked to her briefly before coming out here." She sighed heavily, the sigh of a woman who'd seen a lot in her days. Molly leaned her gun down on the rocking chair posted outside the swinging door. She gave another glance towards the town square and the fountain before coming down heavily on the porch step.

"Is she?" Molly took a shaky breath and shook her head sadly.

"No, Leo. I don't think she is." Leo stopped, a blank look consuming his features.

"We should ask her when she comes back. We should see. What if she is-"

"No Leo! Damnit she's not her! Now just stop it. Don't get all nostalgic on me. The past is the past and the dead can't rise and walk in the lands of the living. I wish it were true. I wish she had escaped, survived, but-" Molly shook her head, wiping furiously at her eyes and the tears springing from them. She grabbed the gun and headed back inside the bar. She needed a drink.

Leo watched her back as she left him, alone, amongst the large pieces of broken building and plaster. He turned back to the square where Molly had once looked at longingly. After a while, he meandered over to the fountain, now peppered with bullet holes and sputtering water out at awkward angles. There was a black plaque down on the basin that had thankfully been left untouched and there, inscribed in gold, were four names. Leo ran his hand over the first three, letting his fingertips graze each letter until he came to the last one, which he wouldn't touch. He would never touch it.

"Bill, Merle. I can't tell you how sorry I am, for you and your family. We tried protecting you, protecting everyone in your family. As a man of the law and you're friend, It hurts me to say I failed you but I did. I hope one day you and the Good Lord'll find it in your heart to forgive me." And he left the square, disappearing down into one of the dusty roads leading back to the Sheriff's quarters. As he walked he realized what Molly had said was true.

Blue Sky City had been a bandage for a gash so large that stitching would never hold. The beautiful memoir in the square had been the whiskey used to heal the wound but sting and bring tears to a grown man's eye. And as the years passed by, the bandage and the whiskey worked their magic and in time the gash healed into a scab and soon the scab fell away. But even if the gash had healed the scar was still present, lingering on the skin. And the ugly mark was never really healed. Underneath the tissue the whiskey still burned and the bandage was still in place. Now that the knife that had made the gash was re-sharpened, It's blade had slowly begun to rip the scar wide open. The gash was bleeding again. The bandage was soaked in blood and the whiskey had lost its snap.


	6. Dreams

A young girl with black hair, delicately put into two plaits hanging over her shoulders, sat on a peeling white fence. The sand and wind whipped around her small form; swaying the simple yellow dress she was wearing. But despite the weather, she was smiling and laughing and chatting non-stop with a brown teddy bear in her lap. Behind her, people were talking, sipping down beer and other beverages. Many were leaning against the fence, watching whatever was going on.

He stopped in his tracks. He'd never had a dream like this before. Deciding to explore it to his fullest ability, he chose to walk over to the little girl perched on the fence. She paid no heed to him until he leaned against the fence. He was surprised when she looked at him.

'Well, this is a weird dream.' He thought nonchalantly. Smiling at him she outstretched a hand.

"Hello." For a moment, Vash could do nothing but stare at her confusedly. Then, she grabbed his good hand and put it in hers, giving it a firm shake. He jumped to attention then, and shook her hand of his own accord with a sheepish chuckle.

"Hello."

"Are you here to watch the races?" He narrowed his eyes then looked around her to where she pointed. There was a long line of thomases stretched out over the horizon, decked out in fancy decorations. The riders, from what he could tell, were also dressed nicely. He had never seen a Thomas race, though he had heard of them in his travels.

"Yeah. Who do you think is gonna win?" He asked slowly.

"Oh. That's an easy one. My big sister is going to. She and her thomas always win." The little girl smiled and giggled before turning back to her teddy. He leaned over the fence watching for the thomases to begin. Finally a gunshot rang out and they sprang to life, lunging forward with intensity.

"Wow. They do go pretty fast." He said in amazement. He'd seen thomases go but never this fast. The little girl once again giggled.

"You're a silly boy. I've never seen you before. Do you live in one of the other towns?" He turned back to her, noticing she now had a very serious look to her.

"Actually, I'm just passing through."

"Oh. I see. Father told me not to talk to strangers anymore."

"Well your father must be a wise man. But you don't have to be scared of me. I won't hurt you." He grinned widely to prove his point and then turned back to the races. The thomases were just passing them and in the lead was an odd colored one. It was black. He'd never seen a black thomas before. But then again, you see a lot of things in dreams.

"That's my sister." The little girl beamed, forgetting the previous conversation. She pointed to the black thomas as it crossed the finish line. A roar from the crowd ensued as the rider pulled off their hat. His eyes widened as a shock of blue-black hair fell down from hat, cascading over the rider's back in wavy lengths. The rider, a beautiful young girl with familiar slate blue eyes, turned to the fence to wave at the little girl. He stared openly. The female rider looked practically identical to one he was sitting next to.

"Yay! That's my big sister! Isn't she the best?" The little girl squeezed her teddy bear, her grin spreading even wider as the girl dismounted the Thomas, handed the reins off to a woman Vash didn't recognize, and ran over. She reached the fence and pulled the girl off of it in a big hug. He watched off to the side with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Who are you taking to, you silly girl?" The young woman asked, putting her index finger to the tip of the girl's nose. He looked at them. Yep, sisters all right. Both had the blue-black hair and the same slate blue eyes. Slate blue eyes. They were familiar all right.

"Don't you see him?" The little girl asked, looking straight at him. He looked directly into her eyes, his own wide.

"Meryl, there's no one there."------

Vash shot up from his bed, one hand coming to clasp his forehead as he tried to regain his breath. Once he had calmed down slightly, he looked around the moonlit room trying to decipher the dream and then trying to remember where the hell he was. The room wasn't very familiar. All he recalled was entering town with Wolfwood, Millie, and the injured Meryl then having Molly and the doctor usher them back to Molly's humble house behind the bar.

His memory of the dream was fading already but he could have sworn the young woman called the little girl Meryl. And they looked so familiar, so similar to people he knew. That's what he got for not eating every few hours. He sighed warily, vaguely realizing he was in his night clothes, before remembering why he was sleeping in this bed.

He left the mattress, padding across the room to the door. Opening it quietly, he proceeded down the hallway. He remembered exactly where Meryl was before darkness overtook his memories, which was conveniently the room right next to his. His good hand clutched the doorknob. It was cool to the touch like she had been when they made them leave the room. Vash shivered before turning the knob and opening the door a crack.

The room was empty so far and completely dark if not for the long silver boxes of light on the floor. He opened the door further noticing a chair perched next to the bed. It was also empty. Finally he opened the door fully walking in. There was no one inside, save for the bump on the bed. Either they felt that Meryl was well enough to leave alone or they had some other business to attend to at the moment.

Vash sat down on the chair, half of his body bathed in moonlight. His eyes were trained on the bed and its inhabitant, foolishly expecting to find her dead and ice cold. He reached out a tentative hand. How many people had he saw dead before? How many bodies lay even more grotesquely than this frail frame of a woman? Why was he so afraid to touch her face? But when his fingers finally brushed a stray lock of hair away from her cheek he found it warm, soft, and still very alive. His fear subsided and he let out the breath he unknowingly had been holding.

She shifted slightly in her slumber, a pained grimace fluttering over her face before it settled back into peacefulness. Vash, now knowing that she was okay, let his adjusted vision look around the small, dark room. It was very quaint and looked like a guest room, one not used often. In one corner there was a desk piled with medicinal tools and bottles. Next to that there was a bookshelf with a few books but more ornaments and knick-knacks than anything else. And next to him and the bed there was a nightstand occupied by a clock.

Vash found himself getting slightly bored with the room and instead turned back to Meryl. He found himself wishing she'd open her eyes and look at him. It had only been a few hours since she yelled at him last and he already missed that fire in her eyes. Vash smiled at the thought but then it disappeared. What Meryl needed more than anything was rest and he couldn't selfishly deny her that.

So Vash got up and walked to the bookshelf, picking out one with an interesting title then settling down in the chair again. A passing cloud blocked the moons' light and he frowned. No longer could he read the words printed on the page.

Maybe Molly had a flashlight in the nightstand drawer. She had said something earlier about keeping one around at all times just in case. He peeled the drawer back away from the stand and began to rummage in its contents. There wasn't a lot, just two pieces of paper and, thankfully, one flashlight. Curiosity got the better of him and once he turned the flashlight on, he looked at the pieces of paper.

The first one was a picture of a young Molly pointing up at the bar, which she must have just acquired. There was a restrained smile on her face and while everyone else around her was seemingly overflowing with joy, she was subdued. Vash frowned and put the picture back to reach for the next one.

'R. O. at the races' Vash read to himself, green eyes narrowing. He flipped it over hurriedly, pointing the flashlight down at the picture. The flashlight nearly fell out of his hands at what he saw.

It was the young girl in his dreams, the older one. She was wearing the same outfit she had been wearing in the dream. Her black thomas was beside her, its large head resting slightly on her shoulder. She was smiling at the camera, one arm around her thomas and the other holding the hand of the little girl who was sitting on its saddle. It was the same little girl in the dream. The little girl named Meryl.

------

Vash didn't sleep, merely looked at the picture until the sun came up and he began to hear rustling below him. Then, he hastily stuffed the flashlight and the photograph back into the desk and picked up the book he had been reading before. After a few pages, the doorknob turned and the door opened as Millie backed into the room.

"Vash-san?" He looked up groggily at the unusual un-cheerful Millie Thompson. She was carrying a tray of eggs and toast and one delicate looking syringe filled with fluid.

"Is the breakfast for me?" He asked, one hand coming up to rest at his neck. Millie looked down and smiled slightly.

"Well yes, Mr. Vash. Mr. Wolfwood said you weren't in your room so I figured you'd be in here. And knowing your appetite, I imagined you'd be hungry." She set the tray on the now empty desk and then walked back over to stand on the opposite side of the bed. Vash eagerly grabbed his fork and began to demolish the breakfast.

"Thanks. I appreciate it. But what's the needle for?" He asked.

"Oh. That. Well it's for Meryl. Not now. The doctor had to leave for a few days on business so he said that if she wakes up and needs something for the pain, Molly could administer the shot," Millie didn't look overly pleased with the idea but who could blame her. Vash didn't exactly like the idea of it either.

"Where is Wolfwood by the way?""Downstairs. Talking with the Sheriff." Vash perked up.

"About what?" Millie sighed and came around the end of the bed to sit on Vash's side of the bed.

"Apparently, this has happened before. Three weeks ago four girls and two boys were taken and their parents murdered. No one knows who's doing it or why." Millie's eyes flared with uncharacteristic anger. "Those people ought to be ashamed of themselves." A moment of silence passed between them and then Millie promptly stood. "Well, I promised I'd help Molly with the groceries since she was kind enough to let us stay here. We'll be back in a bit!" And with that she was gone.

Vash pondered what she had said. He looked over to the eggs and toast but had lost all of his appetite.

SORRY! SO SORRY for the wait on this chapter but like I said I had county fair and it was late nights and early mornings wednesday thru friday. Sorry this chapter is so short and kinda pointless but I wanted to get this out ASAP. Thanks for all of you are sticking with me. I promise more next chapter and more updates from now on. Ciao!


	7. Photographs and Clues

Vash had gotten up shortly after eating breakfast to change into something other than his pajamas. He eyed his red coat hung in a corner, but thinking it might be best to not be so flashy, he donned an old pair of brown trousers and a worn white button up shirt he kept in his bag.

After dressing, Vash went back into Meryl's room and sat in the empty chair. No further progress in her condition but he didn't really expect her to wake up anytime soon. The old doctor was right when he said she'd lost a lot of blood but said she was lucky that the bullet had missed anything vital and was an easy one to dig out. He'd left strict orders for rest after stitching her up and thankfully that's what she was getting.

The blond gunmen sat for a few more minutes in silence before his eyes switched once again to the nightstand drawer. It wasn't the drawer itself that bothered him so much but rather what it held inside. Unable to stave off the urge any longer, he threw the drawer open and grabbed the picture of 'R. O. at the races.'

He studied the picture long and hard. Yes, it was exactly like his dream. The two girls, one named Meryl, the little girl he thought. The black thomas. The beautiful blue sky day with puffy white clouds littering its endless abyss. Though the picture was black and white, He could clearly see the slate blue eyes as if they were staring straight back at him. Vash shuddered slightly.

"I see ye couldn't help yourself." The voice startled him. He chided himself for getting sloppy.

"Hi Molly." The woman smiled at him, red hair back off her neck and pulled into a makeshift bun. She padded over to the bed, forgetting the door, and sat down, reaching out and grabbing the photograph from his hands.

"I noticed ye looked at it last night. Every morning, I take it out and look at it. It's one of the only things I have left of those two." Molly's emerald green eyes took on a sorrowful light. Vash leaned forward. If she was willing to talk about the picture, He might as well try to find out all he could.

"Are they dead?" Molly let out a shaky sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked to Meryl, pale and still lying in the bed sheets. Vash narrowed his eyes. This puzzle was just that: A puzzle.

"Yes. I think so at least."

"Daughters?"

"Heavens no! I was never the mothering kind." She chuckled. Molly paused fishing a handkerchief out of the pocket of her apron and dabbing her watering eyes with it. She then placed it over her mouth before letting it drop to her lap. "I merely watched them. Their parents were the local law keepers. And, well, you can't necessarily take two children along on the job with you so they asked me to take care of them while they were out of town." Molly looked up at Vash, smiling sadly.

"I see. I can tell they were very close to you. Who were they?" Molly opened her mouth to respond when there was a sharp knock at the door. Vash looked up, slightly irritated. Wolfwood, his tale frame filling the door way, entered, squashing his cigarette butt on the heel of his shoe, an annoying habit of his.

"Just checking up on the small girl. How's she doing?"

"Fine for now. Dr. Stanford said before he left that the longer she rests the better she'll be." Molly rose and walked to the nightstand, opening the drawer and dropping the photograph back into its dark recesses. Vash resolved himself to find out who the girls in the picture were later.

"Millie's downstairs, Molly. She's having some trouble figuring out where you want the groceries to go." Molly nodded, getting the hint, and left the room, uttering goodbyes to both men. When the sounds of her footsteps going down the stairs finally receded, Wolfwood moved to stand at the foot end of Meryl's bed.

"Millie told me earlier you've been talking with the Sheriff." Vash began.

"Yeah. I got a few clues but other than that it didn't really get me anywhere. He won't indulge a lot of details." Vash sighed, leaning back into the chair and dragged a hand through his hair.

"What's new? But that's not important."

"Right. From what I can tell, The case three weeks ago wasn't the first time this happened." Wolfwood caught Vash's eyes from his post at the bed.

"Of course it isn't the first time it happened. There are a lot of gangs out there. Unfortunately, a lot of them like to ruin people's lives." The venom in the blonde gunman's voice was hardly disguised. Although, Vash could tell, even if it wasn't in his tone, that Wolfwood's thoughts were just as acidic.

"I don't think this is a gang." Wolfwood said slowly. Vash leaned forward again, letting the two legs of the chair rest on the floorboards.

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, firstly, it's all too organized. Gang violence is random, blatant, lacking finesse. Secondly, they were too well-armed. Think about where we are Vash. There are no gangs around here that are going to able to afford that kind of weaponry, let alone know someone they can steal it from. We're isles away from any major city. No, this is something much bigger." Wolfwood released a long, steady stream of smoke and averted his eyes from Vash's troubled ones. "You can't deny it makes sense, can you?" He asked finally."No, I can't." Vash couldn't take his eyes of Meryl, off of her sleeping face.

------

Meryl accepted the steaming cup of soup offered to her. She let the nice, warm mug rest in her slightly cold lap while watching Molly sit down in the chair next to her bed. Her eyes ran over the older woman's face, her expression being almost guilty, before letting her gaze drop to the soup in the mug.

"Meryl. The name is familiar to me." She blinked a bit as she took a sip of the soup. She had woken disoriented, crying out for Millie, but instead there had been Molly. The woman soothed her, explaining to her what had been going on. Now, a few hours later, after being allowed to wake up completely, Molly had returned. Not Millie, not Vash, but Molly. And even though a part of her yearned for the woman at her side, A larger part of her did not want her there.

"I used to know a girl named Meryl. She was but 10 when…" Molly's voice trailed off and lingered in the room like a foul scent. Meryl gulped a bit too much and coughed slightly, shaking her head and putting the mug back down into her lap.

"I'm sorry to hear of your loss." She shakily said. Molly's eyes were piercing and Meryl was finding it hard to withstand.

"She would be about your age now." Molly continued. "Looked just like you too. Dark hair, bright eyes, a vivacious personality to be sure."

"That's all extremely coincidental." Meryl brushed off. She fidgeted slightly, the wound on her back itching against the bandages, a good sign of healing. "Where did you say my friends went to again?"

"To the store. It's been about a week and a half since our last trip and we're going to need supplies and food now that you've woken." The red head seemed to have been deterred. She stood up and walked towards the window, staring out almost resolutely. Meryl settled back into her pillows with a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry to be such a burden."

"Oh, no. You were never a burden. Never. I never wanted children. Hated them in fact. But you…You changed my mind." Molly looked back to Meryl who had stiffened but stared blankly at her feet beneath the covers.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." She whispered. And then Molly appeared in front of her. Her face was set in stone but there were tears in her eyes.

"I think you do, Meryl. I think you do."

There was a sudden noise downstairs and Molly pulled away and walked to the door. Molly exchanged in a hushed voice with whoever was at the bottom of the stairs. Then, there was a giant yell and a squeal, which Meryl instantly recognized as Millie's. She wanted to smile, but a simple chill had gone down her back and kept her face cold as an open desert night.

"Oh Meryl! I'm so glad you're awake!" Millie burst through the door, nearly knocking over Molly, who silently left the room. She passed through like a shadow and Meryl wished she could find her absence comforting.

"Ah!" Before she could think about it any sooner, Millie had descended upon her and gave her a gigantic hug, which tore at the hole in her back.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" But Millie was beaming despite. Vash and Wolfwood soon entered the room and both smiled at her, obviously just as relieved as her partner.

Vash frowned. Molly was pale as a ghost, an unhappy looked spread across her features. He leaned back out of the door, watching Molly go slowly down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she looked back up and met his gaze. Her face was grim and she never quavered under his eyesight. Merely, she turned on her heel and walked out of view.

"So, you're finally awake! Now you won't sleep for a month!" Wolfwood joked. He extinguished his cigarette on his heel, a habit Meryl wasn't fond of, and tucked it behind his ear. Meryl weakly chuckled.

"I guess so."

"You're a little pale, maybe you should lean back and rest more." Vash suggested from the doorway. They locked eyes and Meryl was silent for a little bit, a bit more of a blush coming to her cheeks, which Vash couldn't help but smile at. She quickly looked away and nodded.

"Maybe you're right."

Hehehehehehe..MORE will be revealed next chapter. Sorry if it's so confusing right now but like I said previously, It will all be unraveled soon enough. I don't want to give away my magnificent plot so soon anyhow..hehehee..THANKS to all my reviewers! You're the inspiration baby! LMAO! I g2 get to bed before I burst a blood vessel. Nite folks, Ciao.


	8. Brands of the Past Pt 2

The soft scent of flowers filled the air, invading her senses. That smell, so fresh, made her feel, for once, at peace. She opened her eyes, seeing the gorgeous blue sky stretched out in front of her. White petals danced in front of her sight. She laughed slightly.  
  
//Silly flowers trying to be clouds.// She propped herself up on her elbows, a light smile playing on her lips. Looking around she realized she was sitting in a sand dune, wind pushing the soft grains around her body and into the air. She watching, mesmerized like a child, as the sand and flowers tangled together.  
  
//They're waltzing. Remember when we'd waltz together, Meryl?// Her eyes widened as the voice spoke, echoing in her mind. She turned around and gasped.  
  
She stood there, dressed in her black gown and white apron, blue-ebony hair fanning out from behind her. She was smiling though you could hardly see her face. Her arms were overflowing with white flower blossoms. Many were escaping, set free into the air and soaring high above them.   
  
Meryl rose and began to run to her, smiling wider than she had done in a long time. And for once, She wasn't disappearing. This elated her and when she finally got to the top of the sand dune, her heart was in her throat. Meryl blinked in confusion. She should be staring into her eyes, not her knees.  
  
She looked down at her hands and then up at the woman in front of her. She had shrunk. She had returned to her 10 year old self. A 10 year old with a 22 year old's memories and knowledge. The girl in front of her knelt down and smiled at her.  
  
//Hello again.//  
  
//Oh, Ros-// The woman made a shushing noise than rose again.  
  
//It's time Meryl. It's time to dance.//And all at once she opened her arms wide and let the flowers escape. Meryl let out a surprised cry and tried to chase after them, to grab them. She wanted one, needed at least one. But her small hands could no longer reach the blossoms. The sky began to darken, the white clouds turning black.  
  
//Rosemary!// Meryl turned, frightened at the sudden change. She looked to the sand dune where the elegant woman had just stood but now she was gone, replaced by a shapeless shadow. The shadow began to grotesquely stretch over the horizon, growing and growing until it began to swallow up everything in it's path.   
  
On pure instinct she broke into a full blown run. She ran away from it but it was no use. Like a tidal wave, It rushed over the top of her. The inky blackness dripped down from the sky, cutting off her escape. Cold winds blew her back into the darkest recesses of the pit it had formed. She put her forearms in front of her face, trying to block the gail but to no avail. She sunk down to her small knees, weeping. She began to cry like a little child.  
  
//ROSEMARY!!!!!!!///  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!@!@!@!@!@!@!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Molly's living room was much smaller than the dining room but definitely more homey. The walls were painted a creamy yellow and were decorated with many pictures and paintings. There were only two articles of furniture in the room and one ornate hutch containing beautiful glass dishes and other small nic-nacs.  
  
Molly motioned for them to make themselves comfortable while she sat down heavily into a cushioned rocking chair. Vash was the first to sit down on the large couch across from Molly. It was a very nice couch, embroidered with a white rose pattern. Millie followed suit, leaving enough room for Wolfwood to sit down, if he pleased. But the priest chose to lean in the doorway, a cool air to his leaning frame.  
  
"I suppose I should start from the beginning. I didn't grow up in Big Sky City, Blue Sky City's predecessor. I was born in December City and moved out here to start up a saloon when I was 25. None of the townsfolk were very nice at first. But then the local sheriff and his wife invited me to dinner one night and I guess that's how everything started.  
  
"Bill and Merle Owens were very kind, honest people. Very trustworthy as well. They explained to me that they had been having trouble with a gang of brigands lately and a lot of people didn't trust passerbys much anymore. I didn't think much of it at the time. What town so far out of the way and so small of size doesn't have it's problems with gangs? Only it was weird. They told me that the gangs took only children and then killed the parents. I still didn't take to the idea much until an incident kept happening every day.  
  
"After a few weeks, we became best of friends. So it was only naturally I suppose when they asked of me a huge favor. They had two children, Rosemary who was 15, and Meryl, who was 10." Millie sucked in her breath at the mention of Meryl's name but it was hardly noticeable. Vash looked over at Wolfwood and they briefly met eyes before returning their full attention to Molly. The poor woman was wringing her hands in her dirty apron now. She must have realized what she was doing because then she forcefully put her hands in her lap.  
  
"But anyway, In order to try and get to the bottom of the case faster, Bill and Merle needed to go undercover. They told me they didn't know how long they'd be gone so they..they asked me to keep the children at the saloon and..act like they were my own. It must have been hard for them to come to that conclusion even if it was just an act. I suppose it was for the best though. They didn't want the children to be put in danger should they be caught and leaving them alone wouldn't be the smartest idea either.  
  
"So I agreed. After the first couple of weeks, the girls warmed up to me, Meryl in particular. She was always off and about in the saloon, mingling with the regulars, putting on shows. 10 year old things I guess. Rosemary..Well Rosemary was very shy, very quiet, but also very mature for her age. She had these knowing eyes, as if she could see right through you. Very responsible girl. That's what made it so hard to believe that she took to racing thomases.  
  
"I'm rambling. Forgive me. Bill and Merle didn't tell me anything, just wrote telling how things were going, good, bad, okay, and how long they expected to be gone. I started to think they were close to solving the case because the shoot-outs and kidnappings and murders had all ceased. I know I shouldn't have let my guard down so easily but..I did. One night, maybe a year after Bill and Merle had left, I took Leo home, a drunk regular. He lived right down the road not even two buildings. I felt sorry for him. He had just lost his little girl and his wife had been shot to death out back behind their house. I got him in the house then left him to his own duties. I hadn't been gone but 8 minutes but..by the time I got back the saloon was in ruins and..Rosemary and Meryl were gone. Everyone was furious with me. And why shouldn't they have been? We all loved those girls as our own and I had gone off and done something incredibly stupid.  
  
"I never heard or saw them again, Bill and Merle either. I heard though they had been found out and hung somewhere, sad as it is. After the incident, maybe not even three days after I heard of Bill and Merle's death, the gang came back through town and massacred everyone. Only 7 survived, myself included." At the end, Molly dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief Millie had offered her. The blonde had tears of her own.  
  
"That's awful."  
  
"And you're sure that the Meryl upstairs is your Meryl?" Wolfwood asked, breaking the mood. Vash had to admit he had a point. Although by this time Vash was also certain Meryl was the Meryl Molly knew. Not only had there been his dream and the photograph, there were pictures all over the house of the two girls. And the little one looked remarkably like Meryl..  
  
"Yes. I....I know." Vash narrowed his eyes. Molly had hesitated as she spoke. It almost seemed as if she were hiding something. Determined to find out what, he opened his mouth to speak when suddenly a scream pierced the silent night.  
  
"ROSEMARY!!!!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!@!@!@!@!@!@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She stared down at the crystal goblet in her hands, sashaying the red liquid around it's bottom before bringing it to her lips. The bittersweet liquid raced down her throat, setting her esophogaus on fire. Just how she liked it.  
  
The room was old and dusty with cobwebs hanging from every corner. The furniture was decaying. Even the couch she perched herself on was tattered and it's stuffing was poking out in certain places.   
  
She fingered one puff of the white material before ripping it out and throwing it on the floor.  
  
"Look at this, this pitiful place. It's an absolutely disgrace, that's what it is! Grandfather would be outraged to know I call this place home!" She dragged a pale hand through her ivory hair, untucking it from over her shoulder and letting it's length wash over her back.  
  
"Indeed he would. No Songbird should ever have to live in these conditions. But you bear it with such elegance, dear sister. Why not think of permenantly moving in?" The smooth voice slid over the empty darkness. Turning out and sneering in disgust, She threw the goblet and it's contents somewhere behind her. The resulting crach echoed throughout the room, a cold, hard noise against the smooth surface of silence.  
  
"Shut up. What the hell do you think you're doing in here anyway?" Her voice had lost some it's earlier vehemence. She rose from the old couch, a delicate robe made of red silk draped over her equally delicate figure.  
  
"I've come to talk to you, Ebony. My little rats have brought back news."  
  
"What news?" She forced herself to sound uninterested though it probably wouldn't work. It was so difficult having a twin.  
  
A man with pure, ivory hair but youthful blue eyes stepped out from the shadows. Dressed in a simple plum robe and pinstriped pajama pants, He looked the part of a young bachelor. But the smirk on his face made the earlier assumption void.  
  
"News of our little rabbit."  
  
"Oh?" The woman turned, her own blue eyes flashing in the moonlight.   
  
"The rats tell me she's come back to the rabbit hole."  
  
SCARY!!!!! hehehehe...Well I hope u ppl r happy..But that's not all!!! I have many many more twists for you!!! HEHEHEHEHEHE!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAQHA!!...I need sleep. I realize that the reviews aren't working, at least in some cases. So review if the stupid site let's ya. If it doesn't o well..At least you know you read the story..Me..I'll just have to settle for hoping you read it..~_~ Nite..Ciao..And THANKS..again and again..GRACIAS! DOMO ARIGATOU!! Those are really the only two languages I know...Sleep..lol 


	9. Connections

"Hmmm..Our little rabbit? Since when has she ever been *our* rabbit, dear brother?" Ebony shifted in her post at the floor length window. The view had been ugly when she first laid eyes on it, a hideous rock face that was falling apart in chunks, but over time she had learned to live with it. Now she wasn't even looking at it anymore, though her gaze was in it's immediate direction. No, all she could see was that rotten little girl dancing in her vision, dancing with her severed head in her slim, delicate arms. The sight made her smirk.  
  
"Since you seem to be elated with the report. And since you found out about the large sum of money Grandfather has put on her." Anthony fiddled with the felt rope holding his robe in place. The deep, plum cover of it all contrasted perfectly with his pale skin. The dark color made his periwinkle eyes jump out of their sockets and his ivory hair look almost a pale, pale blonde. Not to mention, plum had always been his favorite color. It was the color that a person turned right before dying of suffocation. Ebony smiled wider at the memory but quickly came back to the situation at hand.   
  
"Yes, well that's enough to make anyone want to become involved, don't you think?" She swiveled around to look at her twin, still lounging in the decrepid couch. Walking over to stand at his feet, she placed red-tipped hands on her waist. Her own pale blue eyes twinkled with something Anthony couldn't quite place. A little evil, a little satisfaction, a little mischeivious cunning.   
  
"Of course."  
  
"Do you have a plan?" Anthony swung his long legs off the other side of the couch, sitting up in one fluid motion. Ebony moved to sit beside him on the torn cushion, not really caring anymore about the delapitated condition of the furniture. If this all went their way they'd be able to burn it in their magnificent fireplace while sitting on a larger plush sofa. She felt giddy already,  
  
"No but you always make better plans than I do, Nee." With his comment, a rapid imagerey of different scenarios played out in her mind. She looked up at him and smiled, baring shining white teeth between ruby red lips.  
  
"Naturally. Let's start planning then."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Meryl shot up off her pillow, slamming a splayed hand to her chest, just above her hammering heart. The organ beneath her palm was pounding so fast Meryl was sure if she didn't hold it in it would explode right out of her rib cage. Sweat beads raggedly tore themselves from her skin as her entire body shook with the after effects of her dream.  
  
//It's time to dance, Meryl.// That's what Rosemary had said. But what the hell did she mean by it? Did she mean anything by it? Meryl shook her head violently. She was going crazy, she was sure of it. This was all happening too fast, coming back too fast. She just needed some time.   
  
Heavy footfalls echoed throughout the room, a lot of them rushing up the narrow steps and down the hall to her doorway. Meryl managed to swipe most of the sweat droplets from her brow and face as the thunderous herd stampeded through the doorway.  
  
The first person in the room was Millie, worried as ever. She did not even bother to flick the light switch on as she threw herself at Meryl's side.  
  
"Meryl! Meryl are you alright? We heard you scream-" The second person through the door found the switch and turned the light on. Meryl shut her eyes against the harsh invasion, opening one to see the two people now hovering over the foot of her bed. Had she cried Rosemary's name aloud? She must have. Meryl flushed under the scrutiny of her friends, looking down and taking a sudden great interest in the pattern of the bedspread.  
  
"Did you dream about.." She heard Millie pause as if searching for the right words. Finally she sighed and just spat it out. "Did you dream about Rosemary, Meryl?"   
  
Meryl's head snapped up and she found Millie's eyes with her own wide ones. How did Millie know what she had dreamt about? Unless she had just called out Rosemary's name in her fitful sleep. That must have been it. She smiled nervously but reassuringly so Millie wouldn't worry more than she had to.  
  
She turned to tell Vash and Wolfwood, who had moved over the other side of her bed she was fine, just go back to bed, when she saw that they weren't dressed for sleep at all. On the contrary they were all still fully clothed in their day attire. And that's when Meryl saw Molly, standing in the doorframe. At first she didn't pay much attention to her, just gave her a once-over and then returned to the matter at hand but..Meryl gazed at Molly, looked hard at her face and the expressions in her eyes. One of pity and pleading. A look someone gave while apologizing for something horrendous and virutally unforgiving.  
  
Meryl swallowed hard, never removing her hand from her chest. She turned to look at Millie and saw the same thing in her face and the same in Wolfwood and Vash's eyes. And that told her right then and there that they knew.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Millie quietly took off her over coat, laying it neatly on the back of the chair in her room. Well it wasn't really her room. It was Wolfwood and Vash's room. But since the previous events of the evening prevented her from returning to the cot set up besides Meryl's bed, It was the only place to go besides the couch.  
  
Wolfwood stood by the window, his usual post, a cigarette smoldering in his mouth. Millie vaguely wondered if there was a time that man never smoked. She sat down in the chair she had draped her overcoat on and sighed heavily.  
  
Meryl had not been pleased with the news that Molly had 'blabbed' to them all that she had been hiding. She had gone into a frightful rage, crying and yelling at them all to get out and leave her alone. Millie at first decided she would not be swayed but after Meryl had bodily threatened her with physical harm, She followed Vash's orders to leave. Only he had stayed in the room with her and Millie guessed they were still talking.   
  
Wolfwood had offered she sleep in his room. Vash, he had concluded, probably wouldn't be coming out of the room anytime soon so it only made sense she slept on his empty bed then the uncomfortable couch downstairs. So, after saying good night to a rather distracted Molly, she had went in with Wolfwood to get her bed ready before changing into her pajamas. But now she simply found herself sitting at the table at the other end of the room feeling anything but ambitious and well..troubled.  
  
"Did you ever think-?" Wolfwood begun, but stopped, turning to look at her. He flicked his cigarette out the open window into the breeze and sat opposite her on the other chair. Millie shook her head.  
  
"Never. Never like that. I always had an inkling that Meryl was hiding something but..Well, I overheard a few of the girls talking about it at the Insurance Agency. A lot of them were wives, mothers, and they all thought it was odd that Meryl moved around so freely. Probably jealous knowing them." Millie dejectedly picked up an empty beer bottle on the table. She swirled it around in her fingertips, letting the bottom twist on the rough surface of the table.  
  
"We all have our skeletons. She's just got a few more than the average person." Wolfwood said. He was trying to reassure the girl across from him, the tall Insurance girl who had captured his attentions and maybe even his heart. If he still had one. Between his smoking and his dangerous little excursions, he was surprised that it was still ticking away inside him. But God works in mysterious ways, as he would tell a wayward traveler. That in a sense was ironic as well.   
  
"I knew. I knew something was wrong. About a month ago, she'd stop sleeping at night and if she did she'd always wake up crying or screaming. I tried asking her what was wrong but whenever I got her alone she'd always make up an excuse for us not to talk or for her to leave the room. I think she knew that I was going to question her about it. So I put it off, I actually forgot about it, for awhile." Millie swiped at the tears gathering once again in her cerulean eyes. Wolfwood sighed and stretched his long legs out in front of him.  
  
"Well, now we know. And we can help her face it when the time comes but right now I think we have a little bit more important business to take care of."   
  
"Like what?" Millie asked. She leaned forward, beer bottle forgotten. She watched Wolfwood closely as he continued.  
  
"Like the missing children. I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself if we just walked off and never did anything. The rest of the townspeople don't have a clue what they might be facing and from what I saw a few days ago, Molly, the sheriff, and that oddball they hang around with are the only good shots in the area and they still have a hard time hitting the broad side of a barn." Wolfwood closed his eyes in exasperation. He put a palm over his lids, feeling more tired than he had ever felt before. The upcoming task was not going to be easy considering they had no clue as to where to start looking.  
  
"I agree with you, Wolfwood-san." A feather light touch brushed against his cheek, gone almost as soon as he had felt it. The priest let the hand slide from his face, looking over to where the big girl had sat but now had gone. He figured she'd went to change into her pajamas. It had been a long night so far and some sleep sounded good, even if it would be hard to achieve. Before going to change himself, Wolfwood let his fingers stray over the area where she had touched him and a light smile came to his face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Meryl glowered across the room at the blonde gunslinger. He sat almost non-chalantly on the chair that had once been nailed to the floor next to her bedside. Anger and betrayal was clouding her vision ever so slightly and she found herself thinking about how he had no right to sit in here and look and treat her as if she were some sort of misbehaving child. Not to mention, after ordering everyone else to leave, he had just sat there. They had just been sitting in the deafening silence for at least an hour now, maybe more. She couldn't take it and so she managed to ask him between clenched teeth a question she'd been dying to ask him ever since he sat down.  
  
"Can't you just leave like the rest?"  
  
"Do you really want me to?" Meryl gave a low growl and turned away.   
  
"Yes. I want to be alone."  
  
"You think you want to be alone but when all is said and done and you finally get your wish, You won't be happy. Trust me, I know what you're going through." His soft voice slided over her almost soothingly. If she hadn't been hurting so much she would have let herself enjoy it. The scrape of chair legs brought her back to reality as she realized he was coming closer.  
  
"Everyone suffers. But I wasn't. I had put it all behind me." She suddenly confessed, not being able to stand against his piercing yet soft gaze.  
  
Vash felt the urge to smile at the woman before him, perched on the bed and swathed in the crumpled pink sheets. She looked like a child to him then, eyes downcast as if being scolded and an innocent, almost pleading expression to her usual cold featured face. Reaching out, he caressed one pale cheek. After a moment he could see her relaxing slightly but as he pulled away the same look came back. Vash leaned back into his chair, sighing.  
  
"No matter what you do you can never truly escape who you are." He confided.   
  
"But I did!" Meryl let out, tears welling up in her beautiful slate eyes. Vash was amazed at her sudden change of moods, from angry, to sad, to a desperate determination he had never seen in her before.   
  
"I did escape it! I left everything back in that god forsaken pile of rubble and walked away! I started a whole new life as a different person! I started over and I didn't have to remember every day what had happened! Life was better than it had ever been before..." She stopped, the dam breaking finally as the wet tears streaked her face. But she made no noise. Just let the tears escape from the prison of her lids.   
  
"Meryl-"  
  
"She told me it was time to dance. But..what if I've forgotten?" He was puzzled. Who told her this? What did she forget? But as he was about to press the situation, Meryl collapses. She broke into heart wrenching sobs, sometimes muttering in between wails. Much of the mumbling was apologies and pleading sentiments.  
  
Vash didn't know exactly what came over him except that his own tattered and scarred heart went out to hers. For some reason he felt connected to the girl on the bed and with that connection in mind, he had climbed onto the mattress beside her and enveloped her in the safe haven of his arms.   
  
It's dangerous to get this close to her, he warned himself, all the time softly stroking her hair as she cried openly into his shoulder. But tonight he just didn't care. She was in pain and he would be there to comfort her.   
  
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A/Notes: Well..There's ur update boys and girls. Sorry it took so long but I've been busy getting ready for school and such. And I was thinking up the next part of the story. Expect a villain in the next two chapters or so..hehehee..Not like there hasn't been any villains in this one or the last one but that's a different kind of villain. Anywho, review and behold! I plan on getting the next chapter up sometime tomorrow or Friday. ;) U guys r lucky ducks..Ciao. 


	10. Lullaby and Madame Molly Noname

People cannot change who they are. They can change everything else, their appearances, their beliefs, but they can never truly re-arrange themselves to a point where there are a different soul.  
  
Millie woke with this thought in her sleepy mind. Stretching out on the comfy bed like a cat, She pondered Meryl in the next room and her desperate attempts to hide who she was. It made her sad seeing her best friend like that. She was obviously very lost and very lonely and it made Millie hurt even more knowing that Meryl had refused her help openly.  
  
Before she could chew things over in her mind to the point of where it became stale, A rustling of bed sheets that werent' hers filled the room's silent corners. A groan followed shortly after by the creak of bedsprings told her that Wolfwood-san had awoken as well. She rolled over, hugging her pillow, and smiled.  
  
"Morning." It was a simple greeting but very sweet. And Wolfwood didn't let it go unnoticed. He returned the smile, for once a cigarette not poking out of his face, and stretched.  
  
"Morning. Told you he wouldn't be back." Wolfwood rubbed his eyes and then threw off his covers. Millie blushed at his boldess but than bashfully followed his naked torso around the room with her eyes. She herself had been very nervous to walk into the room with her pajamas on, as innocent as they were. But he acted like it was no big deal to be in a state of undress around her and before she even had time to act on it he had sauntered into the bathroom and shut the door.  
  
For a long while, Millie sat in silence, still blushing at the memory. There was no doubt in her mind she was attracted to the priest but being very naive in the flirting or relationship department she never paid much attention to it. And now seeing him in nothing but a pair of nice-fitting black jeans and white socks...She blushed further. That almost made her forget all about her problems. She shook her head, knocking softly on the top part of her skull, and smiled giddily. And then she dutifully reminded herself that she had to get dressed. Molly would need help making breakfast for all of them and probably would need an extra pair of hands to clean up afterwards. Not to mention, She was dying to check up on Meryl and Vash, slightly out of curiosity, but more of concern for her best friend in the world.  
  
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"That's a nice song." Vash stood off in one of the small corners of the dusty room, watching with a small smile the two girls seated at the old piano.   
  
It struck him as odd that he kept dreaming about Meryl and her sister. He had never had dreams of other people before. Usually the only thing he saw in his sleep was her, surrounded by geranium petals, gazing out over a beautiful sky. But when he woke the next morning he was nothing but sorrowful, feeling guilty for his past, but most of all, for how she died.  
  
He was jolted out of his reverie at the smaller girl's tiny shriek of frustration. He hadn't been listening to their conversation but it must have taken a turn for the worse because the small Meryl was on the defensive, staring down the older girl with a frown on her tiny face.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because Meryl, I'd much rather play a different song-"  
  
"No, Rosemary. I want to hear that one." Vash grinned. Well one thing was for sure and that was Meryl's temper and determination was very much in action, even at such a tender age. Rosemary looked back at her with equal fervor.  
  
The girls looked different in this dream, older it seemed. Maybe it was simply their clothing. Both had their hair down completely, the color blending in with their long sleeved dressed. They both donned white aprons, Meryl's sporting more stains than Rosemary's and bare feet. Together they looked like twins, down to the very last hair on their heads. Their only major differences were in their height and in their eyes. Rosemary's eyes seemed more mature, more knowing, while Meryl's still retained their youthful innocence. Vash sighed warily. They no longer held that same fire.  
  
"I haven't played that song in a very long time. Wouldn't you like something a little bit more upbeat?" Rosemary looked back down at the off-white keys, brushing the pads of her fingers over them. Meryl gave a 'hmph' and folded her arms over her small torso. She leaned back on her haunches on the piano bench.  
  
"No. Mom and Dad liked that song-"  
  
"So? Are you going to do everything they like for the rest of your life?" Rosemary's hidden temper flared suddenly, her blue eyes burning with loathing. Vash narrowed his eyes. Molly had said that Bill and Merle, Rosemary and Meryl's parents had gone off to finish an investigation, leaving the two with her. But she never said for how long. Maybe their prolonged absence was the reason for Rosemary's seemingly bitter view towards them.  
  
"I don't want you to play it just because Mom and Dad liked it..I want you to play it because it was one of my favorites too." Meryl looked away, tears growing in her eyes. Her shoulders began to shake with the effort of keeping her sobs in check. However soon she was taking short, quick breaths, while the tears poured from her lids.  
  
Rosemary's disapprovement fell away immediately replaced with one of guilt. She leaned over and enveloped her younger sister in a hug and whispered apologies over and over again. Suddenly, she lifted Meryl up off the bench and into her lap. Guiding in limp hands onto the keys, Rosemary began to direct her in what keys to push.  
  
Vash looked on with a warm smile as Rosemary helped Meryl create the sad yet lovely melody and he faintly recognized it. It was very similar to Rem's lullaby and yet so very different. He was about to walk to the piano to see what music she was reading to create such a song when suddenly something shifted in his arms and he woke.  
  
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Meryl yawned and tried moving her warm but numb arms. She unfurled them from around a solid object, something that was soft yet hard at the same time. A human. Meryl didn't want to open her eyes to the streaming sunlight because not only did it mean she would have to face him, but also face Millie, Wolfwood, and Molly. And that was something her heart just was not in.  
  
But she did open her eyes. Well, she opened one eye to begin with and surveyed her surroundings. She was on her side facing Vash's still clothed body. Her arms had been tightly wrapped around him when she had returned to reality.   
  
Last night hit her like a ton of bricks and Meryl felt the beginning pangs of a headache. The throbs promised a migraine and usually they never broke their promise. Meryl rolled over slowly, her breath hitching everytime she moved in a way that disagreed with the hole in her back. Even after all this time, She wasn't sure if she had even really been shot. It wasn't that hard to accept. She got shot, fell unconcious, supposedly nearly died from blood loss, and yet here she was. Alive. And for some odd reason she couldn't bring herself to feel thankful.   
  
Standing on wobbly legs, Meryl slowly limped her way to the bathroom attatched to her room. She opened the door, half expecting someone to be in there waiting to pounce on her. But there was no one and so she went in and did what she had to do.  
  
When she returned, Vash was awake and standing in front of one of her two windows. Meryl couldn't help but blush at the sight before her. He reminded her of a god or one of those heroic knights basking in the brilliant sunshine. His straw blonde hair had fallen from it's stick straight style and some of it hung in his eyes giving him a childish look. He was still dressed but he had untucked his shirt tails and let it hang open around his muscled frame. With one arm propped up on the pane and one in his pocket, he looked...well..magnificent.  
  
Vash had been looking out over the town when he heard the toilet flush and the bathroom door open. Now, he was sneakily staring out of the corner of his eye at the woman standing there, obviously staring back at him. He smiled slightly and turned to face her fully. The tall gunmen couldn't resist a small laugh as she blushed deeply and then turned away in embarrassment. He couldn't tell if it was because she had been found out or that they both had slept in each other's arms last night.  
  
Meryl opened her mouth to say something and then hesitated. She wasn't sure if she would regret admitting what she been about to say to him but for some reason she couldn't help the feeling of sharing her recent musing with the man before her.  
  
"I'd like to thank you..for staying with me last night. It's probably the first night in how many that I've slept completely through." Her voice, small as it was, usually resounded in a small room like this, but in this uneasy calm it sounded so frail, so fragile. She didn't like it at all, in fact, it made the hair on the back of her neck rise.  
  
"Yeah. Me too." Vash watched her reaction with some amusement. Being up half the night, He knew that she didn't sleep well either, and if he knew then she certainly must have had at least a hunch he suffered the same. Meryl nodded and then sat down on the bed. Her movements were still slow and pained so he moved to help her.   
  
"Thank you but I can sit on my own." She gently chided, flashing him a small smile, a forced one. Vash sat beside her and began to speak, choosing his words carefully.  
  
"I know. Meryl, I know that..this is a touchy subject for you but, do you mind if we-"  
  
"It's okay. I knew this would happen someday. I guess I didn't think it would happen this soon." Meryl flushed at yesterday's actions. Maybe it had been some of the drugs that Tommy, Molly's son, had prescribed her. They were mostly painkillers but there were some sleeping pills as well. They made her incredibly tempermental. Sighing, Meryl sadly accepted that she could blame her behaviour on the drugs if she had wanted but deep down in her heart she'd always know that she had flown off the handle of her own accord.  
  
"It's nothing to be ashamed of." Vash said soothinly, placing a large hand on her back.   
  
"How come you seem to know so much? You're always acting like a goofball and then there are moments like these were you appear to be the wisest man on the planet?" Meryl asked laughingly. Vash chuckled a little too.  
  
"I suppose I hide behind it. It's like a disguise." Meryl's eyes widened and she gathered up the courage to look Vash straight in the eye for the first time that morning. He was being very sincere, a sad look written, or perhaps etched, into his features. But why should she be so surprised? Being one that suffers as well, Meryl knew a mask from a genuine face and she'd seen it many times on the man sitting next to her. Scolding herself inwardly for acting like a fool, She gave a sorrowful smile.  
  
"Yes. A disguise." Before the conversation could truly blossom, there came a tiny knock at the door. Both answered at the same time, blushing afterwards and giving small laughs of embarrassment.  
  
"It's Millie. May I come in?" Meryl sighed and placed a hand on the bed post. She slowly began to rise off the bed, confident that she'd be able to do it herself. There was no pain so far and so she tried going a little faster. Just when she did, Meryl felt a ripping sensation in her lower back and let her breath hiss out between her teeth.   
  
Vash was there in an instant. His strong arms helped her to stand and walk to the door. She shook her head mentally at her frailty. She hadn't been like this when she had been angry. In fact she had been able to walk very well and even stand up and sit down with aid. But now she was reduced to this, being walked around like an old grandma.  
  
"Coming Millie."   
  
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Molly set the pan down on the stove and cracked the eggs over it's steaming surface. Millie had been very kind to offer her help with the breakfast. Sometimes, Molly was sure that Meryl's friend could cook better than her. But if she did she wouldn't be heartbroken. After all, *she* cooked better than anyone Molly had ever known.  
  
Deciding not to think about that for awhile, The woman went about her business, scurrying from one end of the kitchen to another, setting the table and making sure she didn't burn anything to a blackened crisp. Just as she was taking the eggs off the stove and placing them onto their respective plates, there was a loud pounding from the front door.  
  
"Damn. Who calls this early in the morning?" She muttered to herself, smoothing her apron over her grey dress. Molly set the pan down on the table and walked down the hallway to the doorframe.  
  
"Who is it?" She called out from behind the protection of her door. Never know who was on the other side these days.  
  
"It's Leo, Molly." Molly opened the door without a moment's hesitation. Leo was a great friend, an old buddy of hers. Maybe that's what made it so surprising when there was no one standing on the porch. Molly was about to step outside when a delicate hand slapped over her mouth and pulled her out under the overhang.  
  
She struggled until Leo stepped in her line of vision. She looked at him in confusion, trying to decipher the look in his eyes. Before she could however, a shadow from the eastern budding suns fell upon him. Behind him stood a very tall, handsome blonde man, wearing a top hat and a gentlemanly uniform.  
  
"Madame Molly No-name. How pleasant it is to see you again."   
  
I...need...sleeep.....next chapter...soon...like...tomorrow night or sometime monday.....plz review and grant a tired authoress' inspirational wishes....ciao...nite......ZZZzzzzzzz..... 


	11. Questions, Answers, and Sad Eyes

Two weeks after it had all happened, She didn't have the nerve to look at her reflection. At first she went about the house calmly taking all the mirrors down but then it got to the point where she began to smash every mirror-like surface in the house. People said she'd gone crazy but it wasn't like they cared if she retained her sanity or not. In fact most of them had their guns ready and waiting and if ever someone should say her mind had been completely lost, they'd be there, itching to discard her like a rabid dog.  
  
And then they went through and destroyed everything. And all the fools and their guns were no match for them and they perished. Yet she lived. Crazy and on the brink of death but alive. But perhaps she wasn't so insane anymore. She, after all, had helped the seven remaining survivors bury the 100 some dead. She had been the one to gather them up and herd them off to another site, much like a mother hen. She was proud of the fact that after they had built the town she managed to keep her level head. True she was never the same but at least she wasn't referred to as the 'crazy lady' ever again.  
  
But now, now it was beginning to wane slightly. It had always been teeteering on the fine line but somehow she'd always kept it in check. But now...now everything was changing again.   
  
Leo was dead. After the man in the top hat had said what he needed to say he had shoved his razor-edged cane right through Leo's chest. She'd tried telling herself that he didn't have to do that, he was just being cruel and viscious, like he had always been, but inside her she knew he had to. He had to prove to her what could happen if she disobeyed.  
  
"But I don't work for you anymore-"  
  
"I don't remember ever receiving your two weeks notice. Now stop complaining and be a good girl. Do as your told. You wouldn't want to see anymore of your precious flock being slaughtered would you?" He had been so casual, so uncaring. The figures surrounding him were masked, cloaked. She couldn't see their faces as they lifted Leo's dead body and carried him away. All she could do was stare. There was nothing else she could have done..At least that's what she tried convincing herself. Even as she cooked the eggs over the stove, she tried convincing herself it had all been some sort of delirious illusion. But Molly knew better. Meryl wasn't the only one being haunted but her ghost was just that.  
  
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He was being haunted by her dreams. They were her memories so shouldn't she have a right to know he was watching them every night?   
  
Vash left Millie and Meryl alone in the room, knowing the two friends probably had a lot of talking to do. He, himself, had left to go get perhaps more sleep. The thought of his previous dreams sent him into lapses of confusion. Why was he seeing these things as he slept? Where did the happiness Meryl and her sister have suddenly dissolve? What else was Meryl hiding? These were all questions he wanted answers to. He wanted these answers because he thought they were the key, the key to saving Meryl from the nightmares and possibly even herself. Vash had no clue how to save her though. How could you save someone if you couldn't save yourself?   
  
True, the advice he had dealt to her last night was advice on how to cope with it. How to deal with who she was but coping wasn't rescuing. A hostage could learn to cope with his or her ordeal and still be in a great amount of danger. Vash yawned as he came to the door of his and Wolfwood's room. He opened it, too tired to really acknowledge a dressing Wolfwood and plunged face down on his bed.  
  
"Rough night?" Now would be the time his friend would want to make conversation. Vash decided not to fight it, rolled over, and sat up.  
  
"Kind of-" Vash stopped talking. He recognized the look on Wolfwood's face. The priest's navy eyes were distracted, narrowed and staring out the window into the blue abyss. His hands hung limply onto his white collar, while one elbow rested calmly on his Cross Punisher. Finally, Wolfwood turned to look at Vash. He looked him straight in the eye and calmly continued.  
  
"Someone stopped by the house this morning. And they weren't exactly friendly." Vash furrowed his brow in confusion, watching Wolfwood for any sort of clue as to what the hell he was talking about.  
  
"I've been standing here with the window open and I heard voices outside on the porch. I think we should leave. Today." He was dead serious. Vash knew enough to trust Wolfwood on matters like these. But as much as he wanted to follow Wolfwood's advice and just leave now, He wasn't sure about a lot of things.  
  
"Okay. Do you think Meryl is well enough to travel?" Wolfwood looked away. The small insurance girl still was injured, in more ways than one. Would she _want_ to leave town with them? And if she didn't that meant for sure that Millie would stay with her. Wolfwood cursed inwardly. The whole point of leaving was to get them out of here and to safety. He met Vash's expectant gaze and shook his head.  
  
"Then I guess we'll just have to stay here. Don't worry, things'll turn out okay. Why don't you go downstairs and eat something. Let me get some sleep." And with that Vash lay back down and turned over. He grabbed the afghan from Wolfwood's own bed and threw it over his tall frame. It was then that Wolfwood could tell their discussion had ended. He smirked and tangled one hand in his black hair.  
  
"Women.."  
  
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//You have questions.// He looked up. He was standing somewhere. Everything was so dark. And then, like a TV screen slowly coming to life, his surroundings began to light up. Endless horizon stretched out before him and behind him, flat and yet moving, like sand. But it wasn't sand. Because there was nothing there but blue.  
  
//Yes.// He answered the voice not really knowing why. But he had heard this voice before, he knew this voice. And as if upon his recognition, She appeared before him, shyly hiding her face behind a curtain of midnight hair.  
  
//I have the answers.// Her eyes were sad, like in all of the photographs he had seen of her. Except one. The one Molly kept in the nightstand drawer. She was smiling, her eyes dancing. Meryl's had been too. Shimmering with the happiness and excitement of the moment. But now there were not traces of it. Just the dull sorrowful tint.  
  
//Why me? Why not her?// She looked away.  
  
//She won't listen to me anymore. She's shut me out.//  
  
//What do you mean?// Vash took a step closer to her. He expected the small girl before him to vanish in an instant, just disengrate into nothingness and float away. And then he'd never get the answers she was willing to give him. This was a dream but he didn't care. He needed all the help he could get in this department.  
  
//I can't get through to her. She won't let me in. But you..// She paused and turned back to stare him directly in his eyes. This sort of contact usually never unnerved him, even if he was looking into the crazed eyes of a mad man. Somehow, though, the girl before him had this eerie power inside her blue depths. And it made him take one step back at the intensity now contained there.  
  
//You can help me..you can help us. I can no longer protect her from who she is and what she has become. But you can. And only you can. You must promise me that you will teach her how to dance.//  
  
//I don't understand.// Vash realized with a painful awareness that the girl before him was fading. She was becoming transparent, the horizon line becoming visible through her. He didn't want to have it end this way. He didn't want her to leave him with unanswered riddles. Hadn't she said she had all the answers?  
  
//You will..soon.//  
  
//No wait! Rosemary wait! I need the answers! I need to save her but I don't know how! Help me!// She was gone and he was alone in the beautiful wasteland she had brought him too. He still didn't understand what she told him but he understood why she came to him now and showed him..  
  
  
  
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Meryl had been feeling guilty ever since her talk with Vash. She had been intending on talking to Millie sometime during the day anyway and so it made her feel a little better when Millie knocked on the door. She really didn't have any doubt that her taller companion would give her a second chance. That's just the way Millie Thompson was.  
  
"Meryl..I'm sorry. I had no right to impose-"  
  
"No Millie. You weren't imposing at all. You were concerned and I should have seen that." Meryl smiled at the shocked look on Millie's face and then smiled even more at the grin that took it's place.   
  
"So you're not mad at me?"  
  
"I was never mad at you. Not really. I guess I was more angry at myself than anyone else."  
  
"I am truly sorry Meryl. You're much too nice a person to have gone through that ordeal." Millie placed a hand on her best friend's far shoulder and pulled her small frame to her larger one. Resting her chin in the black tresses, Millie smiled sadly. Meryl wasn't resisting the one-armed hug, something she usually did. Meryl shied away from physical contact and now Millie understood why, or at least had a small clue. She didn't care if she ever found out the rest of the story. Millie would be willing to live without if she could only be allowed to help heal the woman who had become her first and only female friend.  
  
Resting on the bed made Millie remember the first time she and Meryl had really connected. Millie had never been very popular with the other women at the Insurance Company. Her small town ways and cheery, naive personality made her a perfect target for their cruelty and she instantly became the butt of their jokes. One day, One of them made a particularily nasty comment which sent Millie crying into the locker room. Meryl had been just getting ready to leave when she heard the tall girl's sobs. She had comforted her on the hard, cold locker room floor, staying with her there well after she shoud have left. It was sometime then and there that Millie and Meryl began a wonderful friendship. And it was only fair that Millie be there for Meryl when she was hurting. Not to mention she didn't mind at all.  
  
Meryl shifted and moved away from the hug, disrupting Millie's bout of nostalgia. She smiled up at Millie's beaming face, glad to have her around. At times, when she watched Millie, she could sometimes see her. More often than not she only saw Millie but there were certain times when she'd do something remarkably similiar to her and Meryl would have to shake herself out of her reaction to it. And Millie didn't have to act like her for Meryl to consider her a sister. Millie was Millie and that was comfort enough.  
  
"Well I think I should probably get dressed. I'm eager to get out of this room."  
  
"Oh that reminds me. I asked Molly about borrowing clothes since she hasn't had time to clean and repairs yours so she lent me some of hers. It's nothing special, just one of her old shirts and a pair of pants. she said."  
  
"That's surprising. I'd thought for sure that she'd give us a dress. Molly wears nothing but. Is it here?"  
  
"Yeah. I put it on the chair with your clothes. I wasn't sure when you'd want to leave." Millie stood and walked to the chair, leaning over and grabbing a plain white shirt and a pair of tan pants. They looked two sizes too big but Meryl wasn't complaining. Her legs were cold from the cool atmosphere of the room and she was dying for any sort of cover for them.  
  
"Thanks Millie. Where would I be without you guys? Meryl hobbled over to where Millie stood and grabbed the clothes from her. She made her way over to the joined bathroom, smiling at the thought of being in real clothes.  
  
"After you change, Molly's made breakfast downstairs. Eggs and toast! It smells delicious." Meryl chuckled inwardly at Millie's observation and sniffed the air for herself. It did smell good especially to her rumbling stomach. But even the food wasn't enough to encourage her. She didn't especially want to see Molly at the moment but she figured it wouldn't be long until Vash and Wolfwood wanted to up and get out of here. In the meantime she'd bear her cross in silence..just like she had.  
  
I am SOOOO sorry for such the short chapter but I've been getting this little bouts of writer's block and this finally came out of a long, depressing day. I promise the next one will be longer because now that i've furthered the story I know where I'm headed and that always makes putting the chapters out a lot easier. Sorry once again and you don't have to review cuz I know this chapter was an sucky one...But they will get better! Ciao! 


	12. Three Gunshots

It was days like these that reminded her of her childhood, lonely and hateful. She sat alone in the lavishly furnished, yet dusty and cobweb-ridden room, waiting.   
  
Ebony remembered never being allowed in her grandfather's office. The one time she had tried to get in her parents had found her and locked her away in her room for two weeks. She frowned at the memory of her mother and father. Thinking of them always put her in a sour mood. They'd be rolling over in their graves right now if they knew where she was, seated haughtily on the plush revolving chair behind the solid wood desk. Oh they'd be shaking the coffin...  
  
A knock on the door ahead of her disrupted her thoughts and she smirked as she glanced at the clock above the twin doorframe. Right on time. Like always.   
  
"Come in." The door opened with a small creak. She'd have to fix that. A creaking door would do no good in *her* office. Anthony wouldn't be pleased she'd already claimed the most coveted room in the house for herself but if he wanted it he should have gotten here earlier.  
  
The moment her guest had walked in the room she knew she could count on no other person to carry out the job. Not even Boss and his idiot brother, her original pick. But Anthony had been quite firm in saying he wanted only one person to do their dirty work.   
  
"Sit."   
  
"I prefer to stand." A voice like poisoned honey, a cold voice. Ebony smirked. Yes Anthony did have a brain after all.  
  
"You're to go to Blue Sky City and get what you came for."  
  
"What about her?" Ebony pondered for a moment before leaning back in her chair and raising her heels onto the desk.  
  
"I trust her to you. But if she gets in the way, kill her."  
  
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Meryl shifted uncomfortably on the kitchen chair. After the uncomfortably breakfast, Molly had asked Millie, Vash, and Wolfwood is they would consider running to the store for her. Making such a large feast had put her behind on some of her supplies and she would need more if they would all be staying. Meryl wanted to go so she wouldn't have to face Molly but the older woman had dutifully kept her behind, insisting that she re-dress the healing wound.  
  
"It's amazing how it missed all your vitals. Tommy was baffled. Really the only thing we had to worry about was you losing blood the way you did." Molly hefted a large basin of warm water onto the table beside Meryl and dipped a washcloth inside it. She wrung it out and started the process all over again before turning to the small Insurance girl and requesting her to take off her shirt.  
  
"Umm..Could we perhaps do this somewhere where people can't just walk in?" Meryl flushed at the idea of taking her shirt off in the middle of the dining area. Sure she had been naked from the waist up, except for her bra, in front of them all before. She'd been bleeding to death and they had no alternative to get ride of her dress. Meryl understood that but she was very shy, especially when it came to the clothes department. She had always been that way.  
  
"No one is gonna walk in. It'll just take a minute and it has to be done." When Meryl didn't respond, Molly gave an exasperated sigh and walked around behind her. She lifted the hem of the shirt up and proceeded to manually take off the girl's garment. Meryl didn't argue, partly because she knew that look on Molly's face was one not to be contested with, and partly because she felt guilty. Molly had been nursing her back to health and giving her and her friends a place to stay when really she didn't have too. The Saloon would have been perfectly fine. And yet here she was, softly swiping the warm, wet cloth over her healing injury. Just like a mother.  
  
"I'm sorry." Meryl blurted out. She couldn't take it anymore, she just couldn't. Too long had she been denying herself the acceptance that Molly was here before her, greeting her with welcome arms. She had been too blind to see it before now and it took the talk with Vash last night to fully help her understand. Molly paused in her cleaning but soon Meryl felt the cloth sweep over the tender flesh a few more times before a hand reached out from her right side and dropped it in the basin.  
  
"I know you are. You were just hurting. I understand." Molly smoothed a towel over the wet surface of Meryl's back, drying it so the bandage wouldn't move. Meryl's eyes welled up with tears at the casuality in Molly's voice. That woman never ceased to amaze her. As the two sat in the silence of the room, Meryl allowed herself to remember what life had been like with Molly.  
  
It had been..well...wonderful. Her and Rosemary were allowed to stay up all night to help run the Saloon and were never yelled at for sleeping in late. Whenever she could, Molly would buy them little trinkets from the store or get one of the traveling musicians to give Rosemary some of their old music for her little piano upstairs. And sometimes, even on her measly wages, Molly would buy Rosemary the finest thomas racing gear in the area. Meryl sometimes found it hard to remember life with her real parents. Most of her childhood was spent right there in the Saloon, right by all the drunks and smokers and the musicians and the bounty hunters. It was no surprise that she was surrounded by them now in her older age.  
  
"All done." Molly quietly said, handing Meryl the white shirt. Meryl looked up and smiled. She stood finding it a little easier and put the shirt back on again. Molly gave a small smile, picked the basin up, and walked back to the sink where she set it off to the side so she could start washing the dishes. There had been something in that smile that made Meryl realize that Molly wasn't asking anything of her. She wasn't prying to find out what she'd been through, how Rosemary had died, how she escaped, or anything else on that topic. Instead she was quietly accepting what Meryl had become even if she was a little dissapointed. And Meryl felt like an idiot for not seeing it earlier.   
  
"Thank you." She said quietly, absentmindedly fiddling with the hem of the shirt. She stared at Molly's back as the woman busied herself with cleaning this morning's mess. Molly was no Rosemary but she was the closest thing to her in terms of fond memories and prior teachings. But when it came right down to it, Meryl knew that Molly could never comfort her or hold that truly special place in her heart. Looking away she knew that the only person who had ever come close to that place was Vash, last night.  
  
"I think I'll go sit out on the porch for awhile." Meryl took her leave. She figured if she sat outside in the fresh mid-morning air maybe she'd be able to clear her head and think for a moment or so.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Wolfwood and Millie led the way their unsuccessful trek to the store. It had been closed, probably for repairs seeing how the entire front window and most of the shelves and goods had been riddled with bullet holes. Of course Millie had probably been the most dissapointed as Molly snuck in a few extra cents for her to buy a weeks supply of pudding.  
  
"I would have thought they would have gotten everything fixed up by now. It doesn't seem like we've been here long but it's been more than a week!" Millie said, staring at the front of the store. Wolfwood and Vash stood off somewhere behind her examining the damage for themselves.  
  
"Yeah but the entire town's been shot up so I imagine they're having a hard time getting everything back to normal." Wolfwood mused. He gave a sideways glance at the tall man standing next to him. Vash didn't seem too enthused about his suggestion of leaving but the pits of pieces of the talk he heard weren't exactly comforting.  
  
Wolfwood had been changing into his shirt and decided to open the window for a fresh, morning breeze to help clear the the stagnant smell of cigarettes. He leaned out of the window slightly. The seemingly new air, warm and arid, felt oddly refreshing on his face. That's when he heard it.  
  
"...when that happens, go outside. Don't try to help them out they know what they're doing-"  
  
"But I don't work for you anymore-"  
  
"I don't remember getting your two weeks notice...." A sudden gust of the same arid wind blew away the words and Wolfwood remembered sticking the whole upper half of his thin frame through the window to try and hear the remaining bits of the conversation but it was to no avail. The wind only gusted harder, as if taunting him.   
  
When Vash woke up later in the morning, Wolfwood had been tempted to bring up the subject but something in the way Vash looked stopped him. There was that distant look in his eyes, the look he always got whenever something was bothering him or he was faced with a very big problem. He asked if he was feeling okay and what was bothering him but Vash merely shrugged it off, instead unfairly switching the topic to the nice smelling breakfast downstairs.  
  
"Well I suppose we're just going to have to go back and tell Molly. Now I feel bad for eating so much." Vash suddenly piped up. He slapped a hand to his stomach and rubbed small circles. The action was accompanied by a small rumble from his torso. That was when Wolfowod noticed something.  
  
"Either Tongari's stomach is really upset or something isn't right. Why is everything so quiet? It's not exactly morning anymore." The trio looked around but saw no one and heard nothing.  
  
"It's probably nothing. All the townspeople are most likely off in a different area trying to help clean up the mess." Vash began to walk back in the direction of the house. He got the feeling that something just wasn't right. Wolfwood must have had it too, not just now, but earlier when he tried telling Vash they should leave. And he was an idiot not to have listened.   
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Molly scrubbed furiously at the grim encrusted dish. Water splashed up and over the edge of the sink, onto the counter, onto the floor. But she didn't care. She wasn't paying attention. All she could think of was him, the plan, and the time.  
  
"At noon, A few of my rats are going to start a riot in the northern part of town. You and the three idiots are going to go and try to help out the Sheriff while our..contact of sorts..will take the girl. They will be three gunshots and when that happens, go outside. Don't try and help them, they know what they're doing."  
  
She looked up at the clock above the sink. It read 11:50. Molly stopped and looked over to the rifle set against the opposite wall. She wanted to believe she had no choice. But no matter how she told herself that it just wasn't convincing enough. She had an idea of who they would send out to do the job and she had accepted the fact that she'd have to face them. She'd need Meryl's friend's help of course. Being older she wasn't as spry as she used to be and she had a feeling her old friend was still feeling as energetic as ever.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Meryl smiled a little as she saw three familiar figures sauntering down the road. The porch had been an excellent place to go to put her mind at ease. The air was humid, like it always was, but for some reason it seemed less bothersome today. Maybe it was her good mood.  
  
"Meryl! What are you doing outside?" Once Millie had spotted her the big girl had sprinted the short distance to Molly's house and raced up the stairs. She stood over her seated form, hands on hips, and the air of a scolding mother.  
  
"I needed some air. I've been cooped up in a bedroom for almost a week, Millie." Meryl replied. She couldn't resist a wider smile at Millie's antics. Maybe her taller counterpart knew that she was amusing her friend and began to overexaggerate.  
  
"But Meryl! Think of all the bad things that could happen to you out here!"  
  
"Think of all the bads things to could happen out here because of her." Wolfwood chuckled and towered a bit behind the now smiling Millie. "How ya feeling, kid?"  
  
"Not bad, considering." She moved to stand and found a pair of hands helping her from the chair. Vash sheepishly smiled at her, a slight tinge of pink coloring his cheeks.  
  
"Don't want you to hurt yourself again.." He mumbled. Meryl colored as well as her eyes met his. It was almost an automatic lock-on and both found they couldn't look away if they wanted to. Which neither did.  
  
//You must teach her how to dance.// The words echoed in his head. Vash still didn't have a clue what she meant by it. Meryl had said it last night. She said Rosemary told her dance but she was afraid she had somehow forgotten.   
  
Before he could ponder the situation anymore, Molly swung the door open.  
  
"Get in here, now! Quickly! Quickly!" Her voice was harsh and commanding. All four of them obeyed, Wolfwood behind Millie and Vash helped Meryl, who was complaning that she could by herself, through the doorway into the house. They all stood inside the little foyer, watching curiously as Molly went around pulling the blinds and curtains on her windows.   
  
"Molly what's the-" Finally the red-head shuttered her last window. She hushed Millie sharply and pulled them all into the small living room.   
  
"What's going on Mol?" Wolfwood asked. His eyes were vaguely accusing. Molly could see that, despite her best attempts to look away.  
  
"I should have told you this earlier, but you need to leave immediately."  
  
"Why?" Meryl gently shoved Vash's arms away and walked up, finding herself looking almost directly into Molly's green eyes. Molly looked away, clenching her fists. Before Meryl could saw anything, the woman launched her small frame at Meryl's and caught her in a fierce hug.  
  
"I tried protecting you. But I couldn't. They're coming for you Meryl. They want you back." She whispered it so no one else could hear it. Only Meryl. Because only Meryl could understand what that meant. She pulled away from Molly, her slate eyes wide with fear.  
  
"No..." That's all she could utter. She closed her eyes and began to shake her head. She could almost feel their slimy hands on her, touching her, feeling her. Their voices rang in her ears, echoing all around her. Those cold hands began to envelope her again. Terrified, She slammed her palms over her ears and turned, intending on running, instead becoming engulfed in a warm embrace.   
  
"What's going on?" Millie asked, her usually easily controlled temper rising. The four of them stood watching Molly for an answer when suddenly three, loud gunshots rang out in the silence of the morning. Molly sadly looked up. She first fixated her gaze on Meryl, then Millie, then Wolfwood, and then Vash who was currently holding the shaking girl she was determined to save.  
  
"It's the corporation. They found out she's here and they want her back."  
  
CLIFFIE!!!!!! Sorry folks but at least I got it out!! This chapter has taken me forever to write but alas! It's not to be helped. Now that I've finally gotten my inspiration back expect the next chapter sometime tomorrow night/morning, early Tuesday. ^_^ Night folks, Ciao, Review if the urge tickles you, which I surely hope it does! 


	13. Amparo the Strongbow

"Molly, stop saying things we don't understand! Just tell us!" Millie pleaded. She couldn't stand to see Meryl like this, shivering and shaking like a leaf in Vash's arms. She was so weak, so vulnerable like this and it unnerved Millie than anything else she had ever seen. The big girl wasn't alone in her determination. Vash and Wolfwood were staring hard at her as well, as if mentally grilling her for answers.  
  
In the dim light of the living room, Molly let out a shuddering sigh. They had a right to know, Meryl had a right to know. But knowledge was overrated and it was times like these that Molly agreed ignorance was bliss.  
  
"When I was young, I was recruited to become a member of Songbird Corporations. I was an orphan, living on the streets, with another just like me. We were partners and were trained to become steely and cold bringers of sorrow and death." She paused watching the four other occupants of the room. Three pairs of eyes looked back at her intently. They were silently urging her to continue. And she complied, never removing her eyes from Meryl's shaking back.  
  
"One day, the owners of the corporation came to us personally. They told us that a sheriff and his wife were putting their noses where they didn't belong. Rumour had it that the sheriff had two daughters. We were sent to find the sheriff...and bring back the two girls." It was if lightning had struck. Vash, Millie, and Wolfwood gasped simultaneously, their eyes widening at the sudden realization.  
  
"But..but you said yourself you weren't around when..when Meryl and her sister were kidnapped!" Millie cried out, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.  
  
"I wasn't. And that was part of the plan.." Molly clutched her fists in shame, still intent on Meryl's white-clad back. She waited patiently as Meryl pulled away from Vash's trench coat and turned slowly. Fury raged in her slate gray eyes, a betrayed and hurt and yet empty anger.   
  
"You...You're the reason. You're the reason we had to suffer so much, why *she* had to suffer so much! It's all because of you!" Before Vash could stop her, Meryl had launched herself at Molly, successfully grabbing the fabric of her dress and shaking her violently.  
  
"I'm sorry-"  
  
"You have no right to ask for my forgiveness! You should feel it! You should be the one suffering!"  
  
"But Meryl I hurt! Night and day for 12 years I've been killing myself over it!"   
  
"You think that makes it better?!" Meryl looked as if she were ready to kill. Molly wouldn't have been surprised. But before the small girl could even begin to carry out her painfilled wrath, Millie and Vash came up on either side of the warring two.  
  
"Please Meryl let her go." Millie asked quietly. Her face still shined with shed tears. Meryl didn't dare look at her, or Vash, knowing her resolve would crumble in the blue and green hues of their eyes.  
  
"If it's true what Molly says then we're going to need her help. You're going to need her help Meryl."  
  
"I don't want her help!" Meryl spat. Unconciously she released Molly and now contented herself to stare the woman down. She had trusted her so much, even called her Mother at times. A mother would never do this to her daughter. Before she could stop herself, Meryl had began to ramble.  
  
"Why? Why did you do it Molly? Why did you do this to us? Why? Why did you betray us like this? Why did you kill us?" Meryl was very close to tears, she knew it, but she held them in valiantly. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't. She wouldn't show how hurt she was. Not anymore. Molly didn't deserve to know what she felt. The woman didn't deserve anything anymore.  
  
"I..I didn't know it would turn out the way it did! I didn't know that living a normal life would make me so happy! When it came down to it, I didn't want to leave! I didn't want for them to take you but Meryl, I couldn't help it! It was my job and I didn't know any better!" Molly cried. She was about to reach for Meryl's hand when the sound of a window shattering upstairs made them all fall silent. Vash and Wolfwood both reached for their guns, urging the three women towards the kitchen. All eyes were glued on the stairway where a shadow had fallen not only a moment ago.   
  
Soft footfalls on the steps echoed through the uneasy silence. Molly gave a small gasp and pushed past Vash and Wolfwood who were using themselves as shields for the girls behind them. Wolfwood gave a sideways glance back at Vash who returned it in kind.  
  
"Told you we should have left." He murmured before turning his attention back to the stairs. Vash narrowed his eyes and looked back towards Meryl and Millie. Millie he knew had her hand just above her stungun, ready for anything, but he could tell Meryl felt openly vulnerable. He could see her hand absentmindedly reach for a non-existent derringer, only to clutch air. Her slate grey eyes were burning with fear hidden unsuccessfully by the small bit of anger she had once held.  
  
Vash didn't have time to consider her any longer because their guest had arrived in the living room and was staring Molly down from underneath a dark hood. Their visitor was completely covered in a brown cloak, only the tips of black boots visible under it's cover.  
  
"I knew you wouldn't follow the plan. You're so predictable." The voice was definitely feminine but smooth and cold like ice. Vash could feel the hair prickle on the back of his neck at it's cold tone. Just like ice. He could tell it bothered Wolfwood too because the priest was clutching his still guised cross.  
  
"Go back, Amparo. Before this turns ugly." The figure gave a small chuckle, nothing frightening like Vash would have expected. Instead of a maniacal, murderous chortle, it came across as sad and cynical.  
  
"You still want to live in this pretend world, Molly. But you know as well as I do that the moment we entered that house our lives would never be like our dreams. Stop make-believing that you're the perfect little homemake and return to what you really are." Molly's glare intensified. The cloaked woman turned slightly, a movement that the two gunmen barely noticed.  
  
"Just like you, little one. You've been running so long but now it's time to face the music." Vash's eyes narrowed at her comment. How fitting. It seemed everyone these days wanted Meryl to go waltzing with them.   
  
"Don't talk to Meryl like that!" Millie shouted, moving to stand boldy in front of her senior and her friend. Even though they were protected enough by the bodies of Vash and Wolfwood, Millie couldn't help but put herself in between Meryl and the opponent.  
  
"It's a shame Molly. I was counting on killing you but..three, beautiful flames. It truly is a shame." Without warning, The figure bolted forward, a gloved hand and bare arm shooting out from the cloak folds. Something silver caught the light managing to squeeze through the blinds as the woman raced forward. Vash could see clearly that it was a weapon and without thinking he too lunged forward and slammed Molly to the ground. The knife clutched in the woman's fist flew right over their heads and it was vaguely that Vash realized the knife had not been meant for Molly. He rose to his knees, crying out for them to move. It all happened in such slow motion he wasn't sure if it was happening, any of it.  
  
The knife, small but sharp, zoomed through the air, inches away from Millie's chest. The big girl froze, crying out in shock as she watched the weapon getting closer and closer. She closed her eyes in anticipation for the painful jab. But it never came. Hesitantly, Millie opened one eye seeing Wolfwood with one of the guns inside his Cross Punisher firmly placed under the woman's chin.  
  
Her hood had fallen back with her movements, resulting in a cascade of golden pigtails on her shoulders. Her icey lavendar eyes had come to rest on Millie and Millie could plainly see the condescending look currently directed at her.  
  
"Drop the knife, kid." Wolfwood breathed. His navy eyes burned with a calm anger, not blinking even at the harsh clatter of the steel blade on the floor.   
  
"You expect it to be this easy. I am not known as Amparo the Strongbow for nothing." She answered, her smooth voice once again filling the emptiness of the room. Molly rose to her feet behind her old friend, glaring at the back of her head.  
  
"Stop it. Stop this foolishness." Before Wolfwood could react, Amparo had grabbed the gun, twisting it and his arm around so he now stood in front of her. He cried out as she pressed his arm into his back, wrenching it painfully in her grasp.  
  
"Wolfwood!" Millie called out, raising her stungun. Amparo merely turned her head and smirked. It was true that youth was wasted on the young. Skillfully, with her free arm, she dug back into her cloak and pulled out a small, cylindrical container. Pressing a button on the top, she moved her hand to grasp it's full length. A small, mechanical whirring sound was emitted from the contraption before the top and bottom of the container shot out, finally ending in a long, curved shaft.  
  
"Shoot, girl, and it will be the last thing you ever do!" Amparo threatened, her grip on Wolfwood become tighter and tighter by the second. Millie narrowed her eyes at the woman never dropping her aim. Amparo smirked wider and bent over to retrieve her lost knife. Ever so tauntingly, she ran it's edge along Wolfwood's cheek, making sure they could all see the trail of blood following the tip.  
  
"Give me the girl."  
  
"No!" Molly shouted. She reached for her rifle but stopped as Amparo defly moved the knife to Wolfwood's exposed throat. For effect, the blonde pressed the sharp blade harder on the soft flesh, watching in anything but amusement as a thin drop of crimson bubbled up from the skin.  
  
Meryl couldn't stand by and simply watch. She just couldn't. Tapping into that infamous courage of hers, She flung herself out from behind Millie and in front of her partner. She didn't want to see any of them get hurt because of her. The woman had been right. She had been running. She knew it would only be a matter of time before they caught up with her. Even if she had deluded herself, even if she had almost convinced herself, they were gone for good.  
  
"I'm here! Take me just please don't hurt any of them!" She cried out.   
  
"No!" Vash started over towards her but was stopped by Amparo and her leverage. He glared, clenching his teeth at the intruder.   
  
"So brave and honest of you, little one. Before we take our leave, Mind if I ask just one thing? Why try and save her?" Amparo gestured toward the shaking Molly behind Vash's red form. Meryl looked up at Molly. There was the woman whom had betrayed her and indirectly killed Rosemary and took away whatever had been left of Meryl Owens. And yet..For all she had done Meryl could not bring herself to truly hate her. She was angry yes but more than anything she was sad.  
  
"Because....she...she was my mother..."Meryl quietly answered. As soon as the words had left her lips, Amparo let go of Wolfwood's arm and the knife. With lightning quick speed she had shot out towards Meryl, slamming her bow-like contraption into her forehead. Vash cried out as Meryl's head flung back like a rag doll being shook by a little girl. Her limp body quickly crumpled to the floor, being easily caught and hauled up by the woman in the cloak. Vash raised his gun and took aim but before he could shoot Amparo had swiftly placed Millie between her and the barrel of his .45.  
  
"Best to just forget what happened here today kiddies. You won't be seeing Miss Meryl Owens again." And she was gone.   
  
Vash didn't know how long he stood there, gun still trained on the area where Amparo the Strongbow and Meryl had just been. He found an amazing sensation in his stomach, an unpleasant twist as if someone had reached down his throat and was tying his stomach into balloon animals. He had failed her, he had failed Rosemary. Meryl was gone.  
  
"Meh...meh...Meryl!" Millie wailed, her sobs rising and shaking her shoulders. She dropped her stungun to cover her face with her hands. Wolfwood, who had stood and was now furiously swiping away the bloody lines carved into his face and throat, cursed and engulfed Millie in a comforting hug.  
  
"We have to go." Molly whispered into the stillness. Her statement snapped Vash out of his stupor and he turned dumbly to her and nodded.  
  
"Why is she so damned important to that idiotic corporation?" Wolfwood asked, one arm still protectively around a silently weeping Millie. Molly thought for a second before grabbing her rifle.  
  
"It's....it's a long and complicated story. One we don't have time for. We have to hurry. If they took her back for what I think they did, She'll be dead before tomorrow morning."  
  
Ack...My dumb attempts at writing action....I suppose this chapter was pretty vague but dun worry I intend on going into a little more detail next time. ^_^ Review if the urge tickles ya, Ciao! 


	14. The Ability to Heal

Children, by nature, are innocent. They know little of their surrounding world, oblvious to the fact that to live is to suffer. And then, children grow up. Parents try to cushion the blow as best they can but it is no avail, like trying to soften the blow of a bullet. We thurst the child into reality and expect him to thrive upon his harsh enviroment. Perhaps that's why so many grownups were insane.  
  
Amparo hefted the weight of her cargo onto the back of her motorcycle. She had wrapped the girl in her cloak so the winds and the sand kicked up from the tires wouldn't wake her. She didn't want to have her wake up mid-ride and fall off. Her employer wouldn't pleased to find she had broken a few limbs of their meal ticket.  
  
She snorted. Her pride would have been wounded at the fact she was diligently taking orders from someone how many years younger than she. But it was already battered and bruised. What was a few more scratches? Besides, this was the last assignment. Then she was free. Molly could have been free too. But she was throwing it all away for this. A future she knew could never exist. The thought was almost sickening.  
  
The motorcycle roared to life. Straddling the seat, she revved the gas and shot off out of the alley she had parked in. She left a whirlwind of sand and dirt in her wake, deterring any pursuers. So far so good. It would only be an hour or so until she was back at the compound.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"No..We're not going anywhere until you explain what the hell is going on!" Vash and Wolfwood stared in amazement at the big girl's rare rage. She towered above Molly, making an imposing picture. Molly didn't flinch but stared back unrelenting into Millie's cerulean eyes. It reminded Vash of the day they had learned of Meryl's secretive past. Once again it was Millie grilling the older woman for answers to unexplained questions. He wondered vaguely why he was never the one asking when he perhaps was the one with the most questions.  
  
"While I tell you the irrelevant, Meryl is one step closer to death!"  
  
"Why?" Vash asked calmly. Rosemary's voice echoed in his ears as he looked to Molly. Millie hadn't let up on her death glare. It was that and maybe Vash's demeanor, pleading yet determined, that finally cracked Molly's resolve.  
  
"Like I said before, I used to work for Songbird Corporations...sort of like a hit man. Amparo and I..were partners-"  
  
"No..We know that already. Why, after 12 years, does the Corporation want Meryl?" Vash corrected. He didn't like waiting around especially if Meryl's life was at stake. But he had an inkling that the conversation would be crucial.  
  
"I..I'm not sure."  
  
"You're lying!" Millie shouted. From the way she was trembling, they could tell she was close to grabbing her stungun.   
  
"She's...she's not who she appears to be. That's all you need to know for now. To explain it now would take too much time. Time we don't have. Come on, we've got to get going now." With that Molly breezed past all them, rifle in hand, and out the door.  
  
Millie wasted no time in following the woman though she looked frustrated rather than murderously angry. Wolfwood hesitated before lifting the Cross Punisher to his shoulder.  
  
"Come on Tongari. I guess all will be reveled shortly." Vash sighed.  
  
//You will...soon.// Her words kept ringing in his head. He couldn't shake it.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The image of Meryl's head snapping backwards burned itself into Vash memory as he dumbly followed Molly and the others out to the shed behind her house. He couldn't help but re-live the moment over and over again even if it was only a few minutes ago. Not only did the picture disturb him, but Amparo the Strongbow's apparent disappearances skills unnerved him as well. They didn't even find a trace of footsteps to follow. He didn't suspect they would anyway the way the wind was blowing so harshly.  
  
"Vash-san?" The Humanoid Typhoon looked up, his eyes coming to rest on Millie and her unwavering smile. Behind her Molly and Wolfwood were throwing the tarp off of Molly's old truck and taking a few wooden boxes out of the trunk.  
  
"Oh..I'm sorry I'm a little dazed I guess." A little ashamed more like it.  
  
"I'm worried about Meryl too. But she's going to be alright, Vash-san, because we're going to help her. You're going to help her." Before Vash could utter even a sound, Millie had turned and set off towards the truck. That girl's sharpness awed him to no end. She had hit the nail dead on the head.  
  
He was worried about Meryl. He was worried about her physical well-being but also her emotional side. Molly had said the corporation wanted her back. She was talking about the same corporation she had once worked for and the same corporation who had tortured Meryl and her sister for two years until it's sudden and mysterious downfall. But what could they possibly want with Meryl? And what would happen to Meryl once she knew she was back in the hands of her sister's murderers?   
  
"Stop brooding Tongari and let's get going!" Wolfwood called. He realized that all three were already ready, Millie and Molly in the cab of the pickup and Wolfwood stationed in the back. As Vash trotted over the to the bed of the truck, Molly rolled her window down and leaned out.  
  
"Here's the plan so far. I have a pretty good idea of where she's headed but they've got plenty good defense systems set up. We're going to need you and the priest in the back to get us through the defenses and into the compound."  
  
"You sure do know a lot about this." Vash muttered. Molly didn't respond just started the truck up. He could tell it must be a touchy subject with her and so he climbed up over the tail gate to sit next to Wolfwood and his Cross Punisher.  
  
"She should. She used to work for the bastards." Wolfwood grumbled, lighting up his cigarette. Vash looked over at him for a moment before turning his attention to the parting buildings. It was bumpy, especially in the back of the truck, where they had no cushioning or anything to steady themselves with. But he didn't mind being jostled around like this.   
  
"I know that..but I can't find it in me to be angry with her for it. Neither could Meryl." Vash said to himself. He knew Wolfwood wouldn't be able to hear him over the din of the truck so he amazed when Wolfwood chuckled wryly.  
  
"Shortie just didn't want that broad to end up slaughtering us. I suppose when we see her I'm going to have to thank her. The little Insurance girl saved my life. Speaking of her, I noticed that you two have been a tad bit friendlier towards each other." There was no hint of amusement in his voice throughout his statement. Vash wondered exactly how perceptive the Priest really was.  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
"Vash, I know you care for her. And you want to help her, save her from the skeletons in her closet, but are you sure you have the ability to do it?" Vash snapped his head around to stare at Wolfwood's face. He looked serene, eyes closed, for once no cigarette protruding from his mouth.   
  
"What do you mean? Of course I can!" He said defensly. Crossing his arms over his chest he patiently waited for Wolfwood to respond.  
  
"Listen Vash. Would you leave two wounded people to take care of themselves? You're both carrying around a lot of excess baggage. You can't help each other." Breaking the stiff silence, Wolfwood reached inside his shirt and pulled out a crumpled cigarette. He lit the tip and all fell quiet again. Well as quiet as it could get in the back of a rickity pick up.  
  
Vash turned away. Wolfwood was right. He had let himself get too carried away in the idea that he could rescue Meryl. Maybe it was those dreams he'd have every night of her and her sister living happier times. Maybe it was because he wanted to help anyone in pain so they'd never suffer like he did. Maybe he felt a sort of connection to her because both knew the loss of a family. Whatever it was, it had clouded his sensibility. He chided himself for it over and over, thinking if he could convince himself to just physically rescue her from death and do nothing else, it would be fine.  
  
But he couldn't push the memory of holding her in his arms while she slept, finally seeing her at peace. Seeing her like that had made his own soul feel weightless, free of it's wounds and it's scars. Perhaps that's why he wanted to save her. Seeing her happy and peaceful in turn brought him happiness and peace.   
  
'So then you're doing it to save yourself, not her.'   
  
'No. I'd be aiding her too. Not just myself. We'd both benefit.'  
  
'And you think that just because you help her she's going to help you? Listen to yourself! You're talking about Meryl Stryfe, the Insurance agent, who at every opportunity rams the fact that you're a bumbling idiot down your throat ever chance she gets!' This last thought grealty wavered Vash. He had no guarantee that she'd feel the same way. He raked all his thoughts for anything to prove it wrong, to prove that she did care for him the way he cared for her.  
  
'She didn't pull away when she woke up. And she only cried in my prescense.'  
  
'It's called trust Vash. She's trusts you but trust and love is a whole different thing!'  
  
'Whoa! Since when did we bring love into the picture?' As his mind continued to war with him, The foursome slowly made their way into the empty wasteland. Sand and sun mixed with smoke from the exhaust followed them like a puppy dog. It was if all the world had found serenity and there was no battle awaiting them at the end of their trail.  
  
Sorry for the short chapter but I just had to get this little bout of inspiration out. In my head, I kinda skipped over these events and went straight to how it's gonna end. Not that I forgot about the in between part but it's just easier to figure out the ending and go from there. ^_^ I figure I'll be in the twenty something range of chapters before the story's over and I'm already thinking about a sequel. ^_^ Well, review pleeeeeze..if the urge tickles ya...MEEP....Ciao and Peaceful Schnoodlies! 


	15. Skeletal Comfort

She didn't let herself dream. Instead she focused all her concentration on remaining in darkness. Every fibre in her body was telling her not to let her mind wander because just when she did, they'd wake her, and she be forced back into reality.  
  
Molly said they wanted her back. She didn't belong to them. She was no one's property. A little piece of paper saying you were didn't actually turn you into an object to be argued over. She steeled herself, prepared to do anything to never go back to their icy grip, but knowing that her captor could cause, would cause, bodily harm to those she cared for, those who cared for her, drove her insane  
  
She frowned inwardly. She was expecting to just float in the empty blackness of unconciousness with no memory or awareness to what happened to have gotten her there. But she remembered everything. Perhaps it was because of that dull ache resounding inside her cranium where the witch had knocked her out. If she was going to be out cold, she could at least be *out* cold as in totally unavailable or unreachable to Reality. She wondered if perhaps the woman had meant to keep her slightly concious. After all, If Molly was telling the truth about who she worked for, it was a good possibility that they wanted her to suffer as much as possible.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Are you sure we aren't being too hasty?" It seemed like they were talking like this an awful lot lately. She'd be busy in her office and suddenly he'd just be there, talking nonsense. Well it was nonsense as far as she was concerned.   
  
"You're being paranoid. Besides, I am not about to let this opportunity pass us by. I am sick and tired of living in poverty." She smirked into the mirror, admiring her ice blue eyes and ivory tresses. Grabbing an antique hairbrush, She began to brush through the white cascade of silken hair, her smirk growing wider at the dull look Anthony gave her. She could observe him easily in the reflection of the mirror.  
  
"Yes but..My rats neglected to tell me something. Our hunter just radio-ed in. Evidently, Molly and the rabbit weren't alone."  
  
"Anthony, how forgetful. We knew that she had friends-"  
  
"Not just any friends, Ebony." Anthony strode over to stand directly next to her. He looked very suave in his brand new business suit, a little splurge that would soon be paid off if the plan went accordingly. And she'd make sure of it. So it was now when she looked into her brother's worried depths, that she began to let her infamous temper begin to broil.  
  
"What-are-you-saying, brother?" Ebony stood to her full height to make her gown-clad figure look a little more imposing. Anthony wasn't the only one to enjoy new clothing. She herself bought a periwinkle blue number sporting a few silk flowers and satin sash. Her mother loved silk and satin. Too bad the monstrous woman wouldn't be able to see her daughter wearing the coveted materials.   
  
"She thinks one of the rabbit's companions is Vash the Stampede." Ebony let out the breath she had been holding in the form of a high-pitched laugh. She reached out one, pale, slim hand to steady herself on her chair, the other on her stomach which was heaving with the effort of trying to spit all her giggles out in one go.  
  
"It's not funny, Ebony! Amparo knows her outlaws-"  
  
"Amparo is being foolish. Why in God's name would that dreadful little girl be hanging around Vash the Stampede, the most feared and wanted gunman in the world?" She waved the idea off carelessly, chiding herself for ever being worried in the first place. Anthony however wasn't too pleased with her reaction because he slammed his fists down on her desk, shaking all the trinkets and items on it's surface.  
  
"This is not a laughing matter! Wouldn't you rather be sure than sorry?! We're not going to get another chance at this if we're dead!"   
  
"Get a hold of yourself, Anthony. By the time Vash the Stampede arrives, if he even does arrive, the attorney will have came and went, we will be rich and be gone, and the girl will be dead. Don't you trust me?" Ebony sat down in her chair, laughter over and done with. She settled herself down to business. Pulling a pair of keys out of the top drawer, She dangled them from two fingers in front of Anthony's scowling face.  
  
"Now be a good boy, take Grandfather's old car, and go pick up the attorney. Amparo will be here any second. We want this to go quick and smooth." For a long while, The two twins did nothing but glare at each other until finally Anthony grabbed the keys. With vehemence, He stalked out of the office and slammed the door, rattling more than just a few pictures and mirrors decorating the room. Ebony sighed and leaned back.  
  
Just like she had thought, Anthony was bitter towards her for taking control. But what the immature little boy didn't realize was someone responsible had to step up to bat or the entire thing would just turn into a big mess. And after all, He had been the one to offer the planning of the whole escapade to her. Since she was the brains behind it all she should at least get the coveted office of her old relatives.  
  
Looking around, she realized just how much the office still reaked of the old man. On one wall there was the dry bar equipped with the finest of liquor and wine. On the counter, perched eloquently in the sunbeams of one window, was a crystal goblet, much fancier than the one she had been using a few nights ago. Inside, stale but still colored, was the whiskey her grandfather had been drinking when he'd been shot. In fact, after careful inspection, Ebony had found the large bloodstain from his wound on the wall. Most of it had dried and fell off in the long years but there was still enough there for her to see the outline. Anthony had wanted to clean it but she told him not to touch anything in the office. She wanted everything to be left just the way it was. It was only a matter of time before the run-down mansion would be forgotten and they would live elsewhere in more favorable conditions.  
  
Ebony was a little more enthusiastic about moving the Corporation to a new HQ than her brother. He had always been the more innocent of the two, until the death of her parents and her grandfather. After that he toughened up and became a villainous creature that made her proud. It was about time he saw how awful they had been treated, taking back seats to the numerous slaves her parents tended to. Her mother and father were by no means nicer to the slaves. She actually thought they were a little meaner, and that was hard for her to imagine because they were always so cold and harsh to her and her twin. If they did something wrong, they'd be locked inside the rooms for days on end. One time Ebony was caught talking with one of the slave boys and was beaten and thrown inside her bedroom for 4 weeks, only getting water and maybe a stale piece of bread here and there.  
  
It was like they were training her to be ruthless. By punishing her so harshly, They were really preparing her for life on the stupid planet. Harsh and unforgiving. It would look for your weak spots and hit your repeatedly until you either wisened up or died. Ebony had promised herself when she was younger that she wouldn't die. Not until she'd inflicted the same pain on her so-called guardians. Anthony never faced what she did. He was mindless, always listening to everything they'd say. Ebony couldn't even remember him ever being locked up in his room.  
  
So when that fateful day was over and done with, and her family's blood was splattered on the walls and floors of the office, she was happy. Happy they were gone but then she remembered. She was supposed to be the one to kill them, not that slave! Her! She was supposed to behind that gun! Furious, she had gathered all the pain and suffering her parents had ever thrust upon her, and took all the guns and ammo they owned down to the Factory room, where their slaves worked day and night to turn out the products they sold to cover up their true business. There, she single-handedly killed them all, ordering them to line up. Like true slaves they did as they were told. She kept it simple, one bullet to the head. That way she wouldn't run out of bullets.   
  
After she was done, Ebony felt even happier than before. Their stupid company was dead and their stupid slaves had been killed with them. Over 300 lay bleeding and stiff at her feet. She'd left two older men alive to help her throw the bodies in a crudely built pit just outside the compound. And there they still laid. To this day, if you looked down in the gorge, you could see their clean, white skeletons littering it's depths. Sometimes whenever she'd get lonely or feel the need for comfort, She'd walk out to the gorge, sit on the end, and stare down at the remains. Their skulls would talk to her and remind her of the happiness she had felt when shooting them. They'd comfort her, their bony fingers running through her equally white hair, and telling her to smile.   
  
Ebony didn't know exactly what possessed her 12 years later to start the Corporation up again. Maybe it was because of the poor conditions her and her brother had been forced to share in the lull of business. Perhaps it was because she found she'd never be happy again unless she'd add more skeletons to that collection. Like their bones, her happiness was beginning to fade and wash away. She needed new bones. She needed new faces, new fingers. They'd started small and soon, not only were they receiving children from that blasted city that had caused the whole mess, but they were getting at least 2 or 3 shipments of 3 or more every day from other cities.  
  
Smiling, She stood and smoothed her dress. It was nearly time for her so called 'rabbit' to arrive with it's hunter. Soon, she'd be happy again. Soon.  
  
Man that character is MESSED up....And the worst part is she came from my very own head...You have to wonder sometimes..Well I was thinking about Ebony and Anthony and this just popped into my head. Next chapter will be more eventful I promise! And more will be revealed! I'm just revealing things left and right! lol Review pllleeeeaaaassseeeee...Ciao! Night! 


	16. Cell Floor Memories

The compound, as told to them by Molly, was a honeycomb of rooms. Most of the rooms were filled with the machines the company used to make their legal products, ran by their illegal imports. Some of the rooms were dining halls and others rooms for the workers to sleep.  
  
Molly said that the only way into the place was through a garage-like entrance on the north side. The initial building was completely under ground, or under sand, which meant that their entryway was most-likely hidden under the same substance. However, according to Molly's sources, now that they had what they're were looking for, there would be guards positioned all over top-side, especially by the door.  
  
So that's where they found themselves, inching along across the desert to the rock face around the perimeter of the underground structure. There was a large mansion not even an isle away, so guessing it was part of the compound, they'd tried to stay out of it's eerie line of vision at all times.  
  
Millie wiped her sweating brow, sighing heavily while leaning against a large boulder. They had made it unnoticed, thankfully and know Molly, Vash, and Wolfwood were devising a plan to distract the guards and get inside.  
  
"We can't kill anyone." Vash said adamantly. Wolfwood and Molly gave him a sour look before shaking their heads.  
  
"Fine, no killing. But whether you like it or not we might have to shoot to immobilize. I think our best chances of getting in unnoticed is when the lackeys change shifts. For a five minute period there won't be anyone top-side. If we start to make our way over to the entrance a little before then I'm positive we can get in without any trouble. Then we don't have to risk alerting anyone. If that happens, they'll kill her immediately and ask questions later."  
  
"Why do they want to kill Meryl? She didn't do anything to them!" Millie wasn't looking at any certain object or person, her cerulean eyes unfocused and staring sadly into the sky. She was through crying instead forcing herself into a steely determination that Vash and Wolfwood hadn't seen before. She wanted to know. Hell they both wanted to know. Wolfwood followed Millie's example, lighting another cigarette, and leaning against a rock.  
  
"Yeah, maybe now would be a good time to explain."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The night that her life shattered around her had been burned into her memory. It still smouldered inside her head, still searing deeper and deeper inside her mind.  
  
It had been dark. Rosemary shut off the saloon lights, indoor and outdoor, locked the back door, the windows, everything except the front door because Molly was still outside. She'd ushered Meryl up the stairs to their bedrooms. Closing the door behind them, they'd climbed quietly up the stairs and were just about to enter their rooms when they heard the front door slam open.  
  
Rosemary all but shoved Meryl into their bedroom. She'd closed and bolted the door shut then ran over to the top drawer of her bureau. Meryl remembered being more frightened than she'd ever been, whimpering and crying, stopping at the harshness in Rosemary's usually kind voice as she told her younger sibling to stop. Heavy footsteps were heard on the old stairs. They weren't Molly's bare feet. No, they were leather boots, with steel-toes and knives concealed inside. She could picture them in her head.  
  
They hid under the bed, Rosemary's shaking hand on the silver Derringer. Meryl wanted so badly to question her sister as to why she had one of Molly's guns stored in her dresser but she couldn't bring herself to. She couldn't speak. The look in Rosemary's ever-calm eyes, that look of blind terror, drained her throat from any words.  
  
They'd entered the room, the door slamming open. They watched the boots make a few rounds around the room, a second pair going past the doorway, down the hall, and opening Molly's bedroom door. Underneath the full size bed, Rosemary and Meryl didn't even breath let alone move. After a few minutes of searching, The pairs of boots finally left the rooms. They heard the footfalls on the steps again and finally exhaled. Rosemary told Meryl to stay where she was and scooted out from underneath the mattress. Meryl watched scared as Rosemary inched closer to the open door, her bare feet not making a sound on the carpeted floor. She'd just made it to the door when suddenly she'd stop dead in her tracks.  
  
Meryl remembered her small shriek chiming with Rosemary's as the Big Boots popped out from behind the doorframe. He wrapped his big arms around Rosemary, one large hand clamping over her mouth. She kicked and struggled as hard as she could before finally hanging limp in his strong hold.   
  
"Where's your little sister, doll?" He'd asked, removing his hand from her mouth to hear her speak.  
  
"She's not here! I sent her away!" Meryl had gasped at Rosemary's claim of sending her away. Somehow her young mind came to understand that Rosemary was still trying to protect her and so she kept silent.  
  
"Now, now. I don't believe any of that. Hey, Ern! Come back up here and check the bed!" From downstairs there came a chorus of bottles breaking and tables and chairs being flung every which way.  
  
"Man, I hope she doesn't kill us for this." Meryl heard as Ern climbed the stairs. She inched back into the darkest area of the floor beneath the bed, against the wall, curling up into such a tiny ball that she seemed like a pile of black cloth to anyone.  
  
But Ern must have had a sharp eye, either that or wasn't an easily fooled man. A harsh hand reached out and grabbed her collar, roughly yanking her away from the wall and out under the bed. She screamed, kicking, biting, punching, fighting her captor like a wildcat. Before she knew what was happening, The man had backhanded her across her face. The sting brough tears to eyes and they leaked out along with a few sobs.  
  
"Don't touch her you bastard! Keep you damn filthly hands off her!"  
  
"Such language for a young'un like yourself, don't you think?" The man holding Rosemary sniggered, his grip loosening in his mirth. With an accurate and hard kick, Rosemary had fallen free from the prison of his arms while the big man grabbed at his crotch area. Meryl knew that Rosemary hated referring to violence, especially such crudes methods, but the girl had no choice. Derringer loaded, safety off, she aimed for Ern's forehead and shot.  
  
Meryl's eyes widened as Ern's head exploded in front of her. One minute his ugly, pug-like face was sneering at Rosemary and the next a few pieces of it was on her person, another few pieces were sprayed on the bed, a couple others were hanging limply off what was left of his face, and the rest was somewhere behind them.  
  
Ern's accomplice roared with anger, ripping the spent Derringer from her hands, and slamming it into her temple. Rosemary flew across the room into the nightstand. Her body and the lamp fell to the floor, broken and limp.  
  
Meryl didn't fight as the one remaining intruder came around the bed to pick her up. He had already slung Rosemary over his shoulder, giving his buddy one last look at Ern's torn face.  
  
"Sorry pal. Sorry I can't take you too." And they were gone.  
  
The next two years had been hell, for both of them. Thankfully, they were able to stay with each other. At least they had been able to comfort each other. They were both thankful for that. They were led into the slave compound into a line where hundreds of other children waited to be inspected and given their duties. There was so much sadness in the room, so many hopeless faces that it scared Meryl more than the boots on their bedroom floor.  
  
Because they were girls, They were checked over by an official of sorts to see if they would be better workers or better cortisans. They had been stripped of their clothing and looked over head to toe, poked, prodded, violated by the officials before they finally decided to add the two to the company's personal harem.  
  
Meryl didn't understand what was going on but she had a feeling Rosemary did and Rosemary, whenever asked to explain, only looked at her with sad eyes and enveloped here in a big hug. Maybe it would have been better if Rosemary had just come right out with it and told her what was going to happen. Maybe she wouldn't have had to learn the hard way.  
  
The first time it happened was when the president of the company had a bachelor party upstairs in one of their expensive suites. Three other girls besides Meryl were led up to the room where the men picked them out. Later, Meryl had learned all of them were innocents in the bedroom area, a special treat for the president's guests. She'd cried for hours for Rosemary as they did horrible things to her body. They created such pain and such humiliation that afterwords, when they had all been returned to their rooms that she'd cried herself to sleep in Rosemary's lap.  
  
That had only been the beginning. They'd both been raped and violated repeatedly, sometimes as much as four times a day. It was beginning to wear on Meryl, though Rosemary never showed her pain in front of her. She never cried, only looked upon on her with sad, tainted eyes. Meryl didn't understand how Rosemary did it. Her 10 year old body wasn't met for that kind of activity but it adapted as she grew. Her body wasn't the only thing that was hardened. Her mind, once innocent and naive, became cold and cunning. One day, she'd tell herself, me and Rosemary are going to leave this place, and we're going to kill all the bastards that ever touched us.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
She didn't go back to sleep after they'd both left the room. She just laid there on the cold, dirty cell floor, remembering her own days cooped in the bitter areas. Just because they were slaves used for pleasure purposes didn't mean they received any special favors. Sure whenever they'd go to do their 'duty' they'd be dressed up and made up to look like fragile little dolls. Little did the men know they were actually getting little dolls instead of little girls.  
  
Silent, angry tears leaked from the corners of her darkened eyes. She had escaped it all but Rosemary never again saw the light of the suns or the brillance of the midnight moons. That hurt her more than any of the scars on her body, including the brand on her left shoulder. Sometimes she could swear that it was still raw.  
  
Why did she make it out alive? Why her? She didn't deserve it. She'd been so weak, such a child. But Rosemary..Rosemary was like a goddess to her, silent, surreal, strong. And yet so sad, so longing.  
  
'I don't care if they kill me.' Meryl though, surprising herself slightly. Once she had been so hell-bent on surviving, on getting through all her problems, but now it all seemed so trivial. She had no idea how Vash did what he did, living his painful past every single day. She had no clue as to how he went about doing it but all she knew was that Vash was just like her sister. He bore his cross in silence. She'd never be able to do it. She wasn't that strong. She was still so weak.  
  
'It's better if I just die. I'll save everyone the trouble. That girl was right, whoever she was. I'll be happier and everyone will be happier if I just fade away.' Meryl closed her eyes and curled into a tighter ball in the corner. She hoped Vash, Millie, and Molly weren't coming for her. She didn't want to see them before she died. She didn't want to see the look in their eyes, because she knew she'd never be able to allow herself to go.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Anthony shifted the car into third gear, eyeing the slick attorney sitting calmy in the backseat. He didn't like the haughty look in his eye and wasn't it his father who had once told him that attorneys and lawyers couldn't ever be trusted?  
  
They still had a few isles to go until getting to the compound but it woudn't be long. He was going pretty fast for it being such an old car. But it flew over the bothersome sand as if it were nothing. And that was always a good thing.  
  
"Are you sure that the girl is the one in your grandfather's will?" The attorney spoke. His voice was smooth but cocky. Damn cocky attorney. Anthony bit back a sneer and smiled placidly.  
  
"Yes, absolutely. All we need now is your official word."  
  
"Very well. Can this car go any faster? I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible. I have a very important meeting soon." The attorney went back to looking out the window, his hands drumming on the briefcase in front of him. It drove Anthony crazy but he didn't want to piss the attorney off yet. Little did the bastard know he wasn't going to make it to his very important meeting. Anthony was sure after they money had been transferred into their accounts that she'd let him kill the damn man.  
  
He approached the doorway, signaling to the cloaked guards standing rigidly at the control panel. One of them waved back and strolled over to the panel, pressed a few buttons, then stepped back as the mouth of the entrance opened wide into downward tunnel. Anthony gave them an appreciative nod then drove into the dark abyss. As the door closed, lights flickered on either side of the tunnel, lighting the way for Anthony as he kept driving.  
  
"Restarting the family business, eh?" The attorney commented. Anthony's grip on the steering wheel tightened but he forced a smile and a pleasant tone.  
  
"Yes, well, it does bring in a lot of our income. And I guess we were raised to continue it, we just took a little vacation."  
  
"I see." After that there was no more conversation. Anthony finally pulled into a large area filled with different kinds of cars, motorcycles, and other modes of transportation. He parked it in an empty slot, smiling as he glanced over at the doorway into the sitting room overlooking the factory. There stood Ebony, dolled up like before, looking very much the part of an unknowing seductress. That was his sister.  
  
"Good afternoon, Mister.." She paused, holding out her hand to the attorney. He gratefully accepted it, planting a kiss on the back of her hand.  
  
"Samuel L. Baker, at your service Miss Songbird."  
  
"Ah yes, Mr. Baker. This way, my good sir, let's talk a little of the procedure before going through with the process." She offered her arm to Mr. Baker, smiling with her ruby red lips as he took it with hesitation. They began to walk towards the sitting room, chatting animatedly.  
  
Anthony left Ebony to spin her magic on Mr. Baker, leaving to go talk with his rats about any sort of trouble they might expect. He passed through a few rooms until finally coming to a dark tunnelway. He walked through it without hesitation, knowing his way around the place quite well. It was time he talk with them about their own customized procedure.  
  
~*~  
  
FIN! Well, this chapter is finished. It's not like I'd leave you guys hanging. I've been meaning to put this in all of my previous author's notes but I kinda forgot. SORRY ABOUT ALL THE GRAMMAR AND SPELLING ERRORS! I do all my writing late @ night or early morning cuz it's easier for me to think then but unfortunately that means i'm not really awake..lol And a big THANK YOU to you reviewers out there! It means a lot that you're actually taking time to read this hunk of junk!! MEEP! one more thing, I start school in a week so if I'm not done with the fic by then (If I keep going at this pace and at this length, I very well might be done by the end of the week) expect the chapters to be a little sparse..Also...I just wanna know..IMPORTANT QUESTION!!!!!!!!! Would you guys be interested in a sequel of this story? Just wondering. If I do make a sequel it would be post-series and focus a little more on Vash/Meryl pairing. Just wondering otherwise I've got another story idea..AU..Not telling anymore..lol Anyway, I got 2 get going so THANK YOU for reading this far!!!!! I reeeeally appreciate..Night! Ciao! 


	17. Some Kind of Luck

She sat in their 'break room', sipping a piping hot, extremely black cup of coffee. She wasn't focused allowing herself to relax for the time being. After all, Her instincts told her she'd be needed anytime now to deal with some univited guests. Sighing, Her blonde-head fell back onto the cushiony seat, eyes closing as she thought back to the day's previous events.  
  
  
  
*EARLIER*  
  
Amparo's motorcycle sputtered as she squeezed the brakes, lifting one hand from the handlebars to partially remove her cloak. The four guards at the door marched through the blowing sands towards her vehicle and her cargo. Three stayed at a distance while one continued their trek towards her rumbling engine.  
  
"Welcome back, Strongbow. Mission successful, I'm guessing?"  
  
"As successful as one can be. Hope I'm not late." She swiped at a blonde strand of hair falling in her eyes as the guard underneath the brown hood smirked.   
  
"You wish you were late. Hey, let her in!!" The sentinel gave Amparo a wink before turning back to their post. Another waved their acknowledgement and made their way over to a metallic panel in the sand. Amparo would not want to be on guard duty now, not in the wannabe sand storm. Nodding her thanks, She revved the motorcycle and watched the sand before her shake and suddenly rise. It cascaded off the metal hatch like a waterfall, finally ending as the dark mouth into the earth stopped it's opening. Amparo felt her cargo stir and gunned it, her tires screeching on the suddenly hard surface.  
  
It seemed like forever until the tunnel ended finally opening up in a gigantic show-room of sorts. She hadn't expected anyone to be waiting for her. She knew the drill quite well, though she'd been kind of in retirement. Take the prisoner down to the cell area, drop in her in an emtpy one, make sure it was locked and then go take a coffee break or something. That's why she was surprised to see a doll-like figure standing at one of the many doors leading out of the room. Amparo parked the motorcycle expertly in between two sporty cars. Shutting the engine off and dismounting, She'd put the kick stand to good use and turned to meet her greeter. She was met with cold, blue eyes surrounded by black lashes.  
  
"You shouldn't use mascara. It sticks out too much on you." Amparo confided, glaring at the woman. The woman had smirked, pulled a few loose strands of ivory hair behind her ear, and walked over to prod the blanketed figure still draped loosely over the back seat.  
  
"Thanks for the advice but I don't think you should be the one dishing out beauty tips. Is this her?" Her eyes lit up in a maniacal sort of way as she placed both palms on either side of the cargo and ran them slowly towards her torso. Amparo looked away, disgusted at her act.  
  
"You're going to wake her feeling her up like that."  
  
"I can't help myself. I've waited so long for this. Let's get her down to the cell. I want to see her." She spoke calmly but underneath it Amparo could clearly hear her odd excitement. She'd never understand that woman but it wouldn't be long now.   
  
Amparo had been the one to carry the girl down into the dungeon area while the Songbird woman walked behind her, sometimes talking other times not. She liked it better when she didn't talk because whenever she did something disturbing came out of her red lips.  
  
Finally they reached a suitable cell, one that wasn't crawling with rodents or insects and was fairly clean. Amparo flung the door open and unceremoniously dropped the girl onto the hard floor.  
  
"Be careful, you fool! If she's harmed before she's inspected we won't get our money!" Her tone was angry. One glance behind her told Amparo she really was angry, icy eyes ablaze with irritation. Amparo rolled her own violet eyes, grabbing her cloak and yanking. It unraveled from the girl's body like thread from it's spool, and once she was wearing the piece of cloth over her person once more, Songbird pushed her roughly out of the way to stare down at her capture.  
  
"She's magnificent. Just like she always was."  
  
"That's right. You two knew each other quite well, didn't you?"  
  
"I suppose you could say that." Amparo left the cell and pulled one of the many round tables jutted up against the walls out into the middle of the hall. Sitting upon it, she went to light a cigarette she'd managed to slip from one the convienent stores. Until she got her fair share of the money, She was short one pot to piss in and that of course meant no nicotine.   
  
"What are you planning on doing with her afterwards? Keep her as a trophy?" Songbird smirked as she exited the cell, closing the door with one heave and locking it. She came around to the other end of the table, leaning against it, watching the unmoving form of the girl laying in the cell.  
  
"What a dumb question. Of course I'm not. You don't keep trapped rabbits as trophies. Besides, my favorite imbecile is dying to get his hands on her."  
  
"Boss? I thought he and Ray were on another run? 'Sides he doesn't seem like the kind of kid that indulges in stuff like that." Amparo finally dragged the cigarette from out between her lips, letting the smoke pour from her mouth and nostrils. Damn that tasted good.  
  
"Not him. My brother. He's been a little blood-thirsty lately. I was thinking I'd let him torture the attorney but after a little more thinking, I don't think that would be very wise. The girl will just have to make do." Songbird stood and brushed off a few specks of grime from her powder blue form. She walked around the table, giving Amparo one last glance.  
  
"Besides, I'm doing her a favor. She wasn't meant for any other sort of life. Not to mention, I know one person she's dying to be reunited with. Only some of us have her kind of luck." The Songbird woman took her leave then. She never turned back.  
  
*PRESENT*  
  
Amparo grinned cynically. Yes, only some of us did have that kind of luck. She set her coffee down on the small table in front of her and stood. Adjusting her cloak, The blonde walked to the door, ignoring the four people following behind her. It was time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
She turned from the window of the mansion, looking past her glaring reflection to the line of large rocks and boulders surrounding the compound. The attorney sat before her sipping the wine given to him. His legs were leisurely crossed, a look of pure content on his handsome face. But he wasn't anywhere on her mind at this point in time. All that mattered was the flash of scarlet she had just seen.  
  
"Ms. Songbird, this wine is fabulous. What year is it?" Ebony fought back a sneer, instead smiling politely and rising to her feet.  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Baker. I forgot I have some business to attend to before we go down to see her. I'll be back shortly. Make yourself comfortable." She strode out of the sitting room. Her pace was furious or as close to it as she could get in the tight, constricting dress. It was time to lose the hunk of silk. Making a very short pit stop to her private room, She'd changed quickly, leaving the dress in a pile on the floor, while throwing on a plain brown shirt and leather vest and black slacks.   
  
She left the room, slamming the door behind her. She was furious. Of course, Ebony had expected the dumb blonde wouldn't kill Molly but she was positive the three imbeciles the girl had busied herself with were fair game to her, an ex-murderer. Amparo the Strongbow wasn't called such just for the sturdiness of her weapon.  
  
Amparo and Molly came in together one the premises of being slaves. And she supposed that's what they kind of were though they enjoyed a bit more freedom. Trained by her father's best bodyguards and the company's best hoodlums, The two grew into beautiful murder machines, killing without hesitation and without mercy. Amparo even more so than Molly. But it wasn't until Amparo received her special 'bow' and 'arrow' weapon that she began to really gain notoriety.  
  
Ebony burst into the basment of the mansion, slamming the door leading into the long hallway that would in turn lead her to company sitting room. The only thing accompanying her in her trek down the long hall was the echoing sound of her sharp footsteps. She entered the room none too quietly, startling Anthony where he sat idly reading a book.  
  
"You damned fool! They're here! I saw them from the window!! Get your gang of idiots out there now!! And find that damned Amparo-" The white-haired beauty stopped in her tirade, staring into the frowning lavendar eyes of the afore said person. Amparo let loose a small, barely audible sigh of disapprovement.  
  
"I already know they here, Songbird. And I was just about to take care of them, that is if you don't mind." Ebony found herself about to shake her head dumbly when she set her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
"Fine. Just make sure they're dead this time. I'm sure your comrades won't mind helping you with that." The blonde woman nodded grimly, noting the prescence of her four replacements. Anthony grinned from his seat on the couch.  
  
"The rats? Of course they will. They love nothing more than a good blood-bath, don't you guys?" The cloaked figures gave little nods and chuckles at the ivory-haired man's assumption. Amparo frowned and started to walk over towards the show-room door.  
  
"Don't you think going that way will be a little obvious?" One of the rat's asked.   
  
"Listen. I know what I'm doing, fools. You little kiddies just stand back and watch. Maybe you'll learn something." Nothing more to say to the people behind her, Amparo left the two Songbird twins alone in the sitting room to go face her fate.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I don't trust her." Anthony frowned and stood, book forgotten. Ebony unfolded her arms. Glaring at the door, she turned back to her brother.  
  
"I don't either. If she didn't kill them the first time, what's to say she won't do it again?" He gave a little smirk and tugged at the lapels of his shirt. Ebony's frown grew even broader at the look on Anthony's face.  
  
"What are you looking so smug for?"  
  
"We're about to become $$80 billion double dollars richer, sis. Smile."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Filler chapter!! I'll admit it..It has no Vash or Meryl or Millie or Wolfwood or Molly in it but don't you think it was neccessary for me to write this to further the story?!?! lol Next chapter might take a little while getting out. I'm in the mood to write but I intend to make the next chapter a lot longer than this one. Sorry to all of you who wanted to see what Molly was gonna say in this...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS!!!!!! Everytime I read a review it makes me smile! Not to mention, I listen to your suggestions. Alucard2 asked for more Rosemary and so I am appeasing. Next chappie will have a large section on Rosemary. ^_^ Anyways, enough spoilers. Review if the urge tickles ya! Nite and Ciao! 


	18. Philosophies

"Rosemary, why don't you ever dance in the saloon?" It was an innocent question from an equally innocent mind. The girl in front of her stopped twirling, her feet digging into the soft sand below them. She turned slightly to gaze upon the curled up form seated behind her.  
  
"What was that Meryl?"  
  
"I asked why you never dance in the saloon? You're so graceful I'm sure that Leo and Dave would absolutely love to see you." She looked up into alike grey-blue eyes from beneath black bangs. The girl looked utterly lost at first before lowering her gaze. Her eyes glimmered sadly in the dying suns.  
  
"I...I don't like to dance in front of anyone..anyone but you Meryl." She moved to sit but Meryl leapt from her position, grasping onto her black skirts.  
  
"Please Rosemary! Don't stop dancing! Not yet!" Rosemary smiled and patted Meryl's small crown. The smaller girl released her hands and sat back, folding her legs beneath her and smiling broadly as her sister twisted and turned in the sands.  
  
"You're so pretty. And you're even prettier when you dance. Will you teach me how to dance?" Rosemary paused once more before going into a series of turns, finally falling down into a puff of sand. She lay there for a long period of time. Meryl finally followed suit, looking up to watch the pink and purple clouds, so colored by the sunsets.   
  
"There's more to dancing than just turning and waltzing around. It's not just an act but a philosophy."  
  
"A fill..ah...sophie?"  
  
"Philosophy. It has many meanings. But here it represents a system of values that some live by."  
  
"A system of values? But Rosemary how can dancing be a value?" Meryl scrunched her nose up at her sister's airy chuckle. She rose, sand idly falling off her back, and crawled over so she was know staring down into her sister's shimmering grey eyes.   
  
"How to explain this to you..You're still so young. I'll try to make it as easy as possible. Say, you're at the saloon and a young man, let's say..Phillip," Meryl stuck her tongue out at the mention of the boy's name, "comes over to ask you to dance. You have the option of saying yes or no-"  
  
"I'd definitely say no. And I still don't understand what you mean." The small girl leaned back on her haunches as Rosemary rose.   
  
"Be still, Meryl, let me finish. You could say no and just sit there the entire night or you could say yes and dance the evening away. Which is more exciting?"  
  
"Dancing, of course!" Meryl chirped. Rosemary smiled and continued.  
  
"Well, the same rule applies to life." Grabbing a handful of dark hair and bringing it over her shoulder, Rosemary stood. She brushed the grains of sand off her black dress and apron. Motioning for Meryl to follow her seeing how stars were beginning to peek from the blue blanket of sky, She awaited Meryl's response.  
  
"Life? But you can't dance you're way through life."  
  
"You're taking everything I say literally. What I mean is there will be hard times in your life, Meryl and there will be choices. Dancing can sometimes mean you have to take risks and chances and life will demand that of you. So, in time, you'll learn how to dance."   
  
There was no talk for the rest of the trek home. Meryl used the silence to try and comprehend the depth of her sister's words. She didn't truly believe there would ever be hard times ahead of her. Life was just perfect at the saloon with Molly. When she finally looked up to ask Rosemary another question, She saw that they were almost back to the outskirts of the town.  
  
"Rosemary?"  
  
"Hmm?" She craned her neck over her shoulder to see Meryl and still keep her pace. Meryl understood why she didn't stop. Molly would be absolutely furious if she knew they had run out to their old house and fed their thomases then sat outside in the desert for god knows how long. She wondered vaguely if the woman was awake by now or not.  
  
"Meryl? Did you want to ask me something?"  
  
"Oh..Yes. Will you teach me how to dance?" Rosemary gave a small laugh and nodded.  
  
"I will. When you're older."  
  
"Rosie!" Meryl whined, using Rosemary' s despised nickname. Before Rosemary could reply, The small girl swung around her sister's legs, clutching her waist in a death grip. Rosemary let out a puff of air at the tight hug but soon smiled and placed a hand on Meryl's small head and back. From somewhere in the area of where Meryl's face was now smothered, Rosemary thought she heard something sound like 'promise' but wasn't totally sure.  
  
"I..I pro-...Let's get back to town quickly now Meryl. I bet Miss Molly is looking for us." Pushing Meryl away from her torso, Rosemary broke into a run. Meryl followed behind shortly after, wondering all the way why Rosemary never promised her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
//Now you know, Meryl.// Rolling over on the cold, grimy floor of the cell, Meryl threw a forearm up to shield the dim light in the aisle. Her head was throbbing now and every moment brought with it waves of nausea and pain. She placed one hand on her offended stomach as it flipped. It wouldn't be too long now.  
  
Just as the thought crossed her troubled mind, a loud and intrusive bang echoed through the emptiness of the cell. It rang in her head, rattling her aching head. Stifling the urge to scream, Meryl closed her eyes tight against the noisy onslaught of rapid footsteps following the bang. They were getting closer and closer before finally coming to a stop at her cell. A jingling of keys resounded and a low, but feminine, laugh washed over her.  
  
"Well, well little Rabbit. Looks like it's time to meet the hunter!" The voice was so damn cheerful. Meryl wondered how anyone could ever be so happy. The door to the cell slammed open, rattling the very foundations it seemed. She winced at the noise, succumbing to the need to slam her palms over her ears.  
  
"Oo..Does the poor rabbit have a headache? Nasty bruise on your forehead, by the way." Rough, cold hands grabbed her harshly beneath the arms and yanked her to her feet. One hand ran it's way up to the tender spot on her brow where the gentlest of pressure blossomed into a gigantic pain. She let out a small whimper as the person dragged her out of the dark cell into the light. The cold hands swatted her fingers from her face, making her look at the woman before her. She seemed oddly familiar, much, much taller than her and ivory hair falling about her. Her cold blue eyes stared directly through her in a condescending way, making Meryl shiver.  
  
"Ready to dance, Little rabbit?" A spark of anger coursed through her, but it was only a small spark, not enough to rekindle the unstoppable rage of her fury. Meryl looked away and allowed herself to be dragged down along the seemingly endless cells to the door at the end of the hall.   
  
"Oh, pardon me. I forgot. You didn't get to dance, did you? Your pathetic sister died before she could teach you." Meryl's head snapped up, eyes widening immensely. How the hell did this woman know? She couldn't possibly be-  
  
"E...Ebony?" Meryl croaked. She found her mouth going dry, horribly dry, and her throat constricting as those familiar blue eyes, so cold now, smirked down at her.  
  
"Pleased to see you remember me, Meryl."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"MOLLY!!!" The name echoed over the barren wasteland, bouncing off rocks and boulders but most of all the four hidden behind the giant giants of stone. They froze, unmoving, hands poised frozen over the handles of their weapons.  
  
"How the hell did they know that we're here?" Wolfwood hissed, Cross Punisher unleashed and gleaming silver in the sun. He tried in vain to peek over the top of the boulder currently his only source of protection only to be rewarded with a renegade bullet. It hit the surface mere inches from his face, fracturing the rock and scattering it's shrapnel in all different directions.  
  
"Wolfwood!" Millie grabbed onto his black suit and yanked him back down to safety. A small line of blood began to bubble from the skin and he cursed colorfully before swiping at it. Vash also tried to see whom their attacker was but failed miserably as another bullet zoomed past his ear.  
  
"Their aim is getting better!" He warned.  
  
"Come on out Molly! Let's settle this now!" A familiar voice floated through the air, a nice contrast to the cracking of the guns. Although anything was better than the firecracker popping of a firearm, Vash thought. Reaching down into his coat pocket, he unfolded his amber sunglasses and donned them, staring out the side at Molly's still form.  
  
"Who are they, Molly?"  
  
"Amparo, the one before. I'm not sure about the four others. Listen. If they're here that means that the Songbirds are getting ready. Head down the rock face and get into the mansion. I'm sure there's a way into the compound from there." When the three stayed motionless, She huffed.   
  
"Get going! Or you'll never see Meryl or those children alive again." Vash watched as Molly began to rise. He understood. And he couldn't allow it to happen.  
  
"I'll stay-"  
  
"Don't tell me you're as big a clod as you act, Vash the Stampede." Vash chuckled wryly. He definitely did not remember telling Molly who he really was, though she was smart and would have figured it out eventually. When he looked back up the red-head she was staring determinedly at him. Everything in her eyes expressed regret and apology and there was something else, a desperate plea.   
  
"We can't leave you alone to face them all by yourself, Mol. Meryl would never forgive us."  
  
"Meryl's still young, and damnit she doesn't need me anymore. I'd be surprised if she'd ever want to see me again-"  
  
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself! Meryl let herself be taken so that wretched woman wouldn't kill us! She did it for you too Molly! No matter what you might have done to her, She still loves you because you were her mother!" Millie cried fervently, stun gun forgotton as she leaned over Wolfwood to get to Molly.  
  
"I wasn't anyone's mother! And never should have been! Now you listen. She's depending on you three now. I don't matter anymore. You just promise me that you won't let her or the children die." She stared firmly into Millie's eyes, finally getting a shocked nod. Wolfwood followed Millie's example but when she turned to Vash, he wasn't as pliable.  
  
"I'm not going. I can help. I'm sure that Wolfwood and Millie can get Meryl and the children by themselves." Molly snarled at his absurdity.  
  
"You don't understand! They are guards everywhere! Not to mention, Meryl and the kids are in seperate places. It would take at least four just to take care of the guards. Stop arguing and just listen to me. My judgement in this area is unequalled." She didn't wait for Vash to respond, instead jumped up and out of the line of two bullets.   
  
Wolfwood cursed and grabbed the arm of Vash's scarlet duster. The blonde gunmen tried to fight him but after being yanked hard enough for his arm to feel like it had been popped out of it's socket, He didn't fight him anymore. Millie led the way, crawling on her hands and knees, eyes shut tightly against the taunts and gunfire erupting behind them.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm amazed you decided to face me, Amparo."  
  
"Just because I've grown older and pathetic doesn't mean I lost my braverey." Blonde strands hung loosely out of the brown cloak hood, which effectively hid Amparo's face from Molly's line of vision. She knew that wasn't a good thing, not being able to see Amparo's eyes left her open and utterly vulnerable.  
  
"Certainly lost your pride. Taking orders from low-life scum like those two brats."  
  
"Not for much longer. I'm going to be free. You would have been too, if those foolish ideas didn't worm their way into your brain." Flinging the hood away from her face, Amparo shed the rest of the cloak in one swift move. She didn't react as warm air made contact with her now bare skin. Amparo wasn't at all dressed for the conventional battle, opting to wear a black tank top covered with a larger jean jacket of the same color and dirty black jeans. Along the outside of her thighs were holstered arrows, metallic and thin, but just as deadly. In one hand she held the small silver tube, the tube containing her namesake.  
  
"What was the price they gave to you Amparo?" Molly sneered, rifle in hand and ready. Amparo smiled sadly, a contrast to the angry setting.  
  
"All I had to do was deliver the girl with your help..But if you got in the way, I was supposed to kill you. After your blood stains the sand, Molly, I will be able to roam the land in peace."  
  
"In peace? Wasn't you who told me that we were destined to be only killers? How can a murderer such as yourself wander the desert sands in peace for the rest of your ages?"   
  
"I never said that I'd roam the land alive, did I?" No more words were uttered as Amparo unleashed the compact bow, drawing the wire from it's tip and latching it to the bottom. Swiftly she grabbed an arrow at her thigh, fitting it to the string and taking aim.  
  
"You plan to die yourself, do you.." It was more a statement than a question and it ended the entire conversation. Molly dodged quickly, for being her age, as the arrow whizzed through the air, landing behind where she had been stationed. A loud rumble traveled beneath the sands, raising the earth in an awe-inspiring boom. The explosion launched sand and dirt all over, the wind whisking most of it away.   
  
"Stay still Molly. It will go a lot faster if you just stay still!!" Amparo growled, leaping after her old friend.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Ooooo...School started!!! That's why I didn't update so fast...Sorry..But I've been writing a lot at school so all I have to do is come home and transfer it to the comp so dun you worry you're little heads. As to when I'm expecting to finish the story, not until November most likely. Just an estimate. If I get done before then, more power to me. THANKS to my REVIEWERS!!!! I appreciate it a LOT!! ^_^ Expect an update sometime over the weekend. Ciao! 


	19. The Pit of Skulls Part 1

She eyed the rock before her with mild interest, hand still encompassed tightly around her weapon. The winds shifted for a moment. Their after-thought whispers pushed her blonde curls into her face, obstructing her vision. In that small second, she could see through the blinds of hair something erupt from behind the boulder.  
  
Swiftly, she raised her bow, reaching down to her thigh and pulling out an arrow from it's sheath. A rifle resounded in the wasteland, it's bullet flying past her cheek. The hot trail it left soon spouted crimson and it's tears dripped down her pale face. Smirking, she set the arrow and fitted it to her string. Her hair fell back listlessly to her shoulder and that's when she fired.   
  
The woman behind the rock jumped back and the arrow embedded itself into the rock she had once hid behind. The archer watched in satisfaction as the boulder blasted apart sending shrapnel and hunks of it everywhere. One large piece slammed into the woman's crouched form, sprawling her backwards into the sand where she lay motionless.  
  
"Get up Molly. I know you're nowhere near done." Her eyes narrowed as the woman struggled to sit up. Red hair, shook loose from it's loose bun, hung over one side of her dirty, bloodied face, allowing one piercing emerald eye to show. She looked straight back into that glaring eye, fitting another arrow to her string without fault.  
  
The woman flew to her feet, rushing forward, using her rifle like a club. The archer barely had time to step back before the rifle came down. She stared at the enraged female before her, her smirk widening.  
  
"You see! Now you're finally getting the picture!"   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Everytime a gunshot or an explosion rang in the distance, Millie gave a small wince, sometimes accompanied by a whimper. But she kept going, leading the two men ever on towards the now towering mansion.  
  
"Any one got any plans as to what we do once we get in?" Wolfwood asked, irritation evident in his voice. Dragging the Cross Punisher when you were trekking over the desert on your hands and knees was no easy task. The heavy piece of artillery gave a large clanking sound whenever stopped and Vash had already reminded him that making a noise that big wasn't smart.  
  
"Besides not killing anyone and finding a way down into the compound, Nope." Vash replied. He hadn't really been paying much attention to where he was going, instead trying to get a view of the fight going on behind them. He was about to turn his head around to a comfortable degree again when something dark and large caught the corner of his eye. Vash stopped, turning fully around to see one of the cloaked figures that had stood behind Amparo now standing like a sentinel in the distance. Before the blonde gunslinger could give any warning to his two companion, the other three appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. None of them seemed armed but as their cloaks blew open by the gusts of wind, Vash's sharp eyesight caught glimmers of silver and onyx.  
  
"JUMP!!" He commanded, stumbling to his feet as bullets began to scream past their heads. Wolfwood grabbed a screaming Millie and threw her over the rock face. Vash soon followed, one hand curved under a black strap of Cross Punisher. He and the heavy weapon slid down the slope. Wolfwood and Millie's tumbling bodies made quite the dust cloud which soon became invisible as the slope led them down into a deep crevice. Vash gave one last look to the line of boulders, only to see dismally that the four gunfighters had already started their descent.  
  
All of a sudden, the ground rushed up to meet them. Vash prepared himself for the rough landing but didn't expect a sudden crunching sound and the solid earth to fall away beneath him. He opened one eye hesitantly, both flying wide open at Millie's scream of terror and Wolfwood's yelp of disgust. He looked up at both of them, about to ask what was wrong, when he realized what they had landed on.  
  
Skeletons.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
She thought she'd forever remember her face, immortalized between two oak frames. It was fair and youthful, much like hers had been. Cascading down around small, heaving shoulders was a waterfall of silver strands, rising and falling with the labored breaths she took. She'd engraved it into her memory as a permenant reminder of what a monster she was. To remind her she'd never be like Rosemary.  
  
Meryl stared into those eyes, so different now, no longer youthfully innocent, for quite awhile before Ebony turned to fully stand before her. She'd grown much taller than Meryl had ever hoped to be, towering over her much like Vash, Millie, or Wolfwood would. And yet she retained her gaze, never flinching, never blinking, even as the smirk turned into a displeased frown.  
  
"So, I take it you really do remember. That sappy look in your eyes tells me so."  
  
"Ebony, I never forgot you-"  
  
"Shut up. I don't need your sympathy. You know what I'm going to do, don't you?" She waited a few seconds for Meryl to respond and when she didn't she gave a wry smile. "I'm going to kill you, Meryl. I'm going to torture you and watch you bleed and then I'm going to kill you."  
  
"I see. I suppose it's nothing more than I deserve. I killed them, after all." Ebony regarded Meryl coolly. She folded her arms over her blouse and huffed.   
  
"You think I blame you for that?" Meryl looked up, a glimmer of hope reflecting in her dismal grey eyes. It was soon smote as Ebony's wicked grin returned.  
  
"I blame myself..for not killing all of you sooner." Meryl's mouth gaped. All these years..No there had to be some sort of mistake.   
  
"But..That day..You were crying. You were hysterical!"  
  
"Maybe you misunderstood..I wasn't crying out of sadness. I was crying out of sheer joy. You killed my god-forsaken parents, Rabbit. Two people I hated more than anyone else in the entire world!" Ebony whirled around, motioning for Meryl to follow her out of the dungeons. However Meryl would not let the conversation end there.  
  
"You're lying! You care about them! Or don't you remember that night behind the combines? Wasn't I the one you told all your secrets to-" Before Meryl could finish, Ebony's hand had lashed out and connected with her jaw. She stumbled backwards, the stinging sensation in her cheek making her eyes water. Ebony growled low in her throat.  
  
"You shut your mouth, filthy rabbit. I know what you're trying to get at. We've all changed. The past is dead. Stop trying to unearth it. Now, stop standing there like a fool and let's get going. Mr. Baker won't wait long." Ebony roughly grabbed the hand Meryl had gingerly laid on her bruised face. She started forward quickly, moving through the door and down the hallway with a predatory sway.   
  
Meryl didn't even really pay attention to where Ebony was leading her. All her thought was focused on the previous events and the blow that had been dealt to her. Once upon a time she considered Ebony her friend, her ally in her enemy's den. But now she didn't even recognize the girl, no, woman before her. Years on this planet had changed her. Hell it changed them both. She allowed herself to be dragged, feeling even more lonely and depressed then she had previously been. The past really was dead. She'd worked so hard to bury it and yet it comforted her to know that it was still there, like a security blanket forcefully let go but put in a safe place. Now it really was gone and she was numb to it.   
  
'I never thought it would end this way..'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He gave a small yelp of disgust and rolled away from the skull he had come face to face with. Millie was still yiping in the corner, hands pressed against her temples. Wolfwood just sat there, eyes wide in dumb shock.  
  
"What in God's name.." The priest whispered. The two men looked around in grotesque awe. There was a mountain of skeletons and bones, some still decorated with scraps of rotting cloth and hide. Vash tried standing to perhaps get a better look but found that his weight broke the brittle bones beneath him and he fell back to the glistening white heap.  
  
"There must be hundreds in here.." Vash whispered. The bones still smelled like decaying flesh. The scent invaded his nostrils and stung at his eyes. He grabbed a strap on Cross Punisher and began to crawl to the ledge just to the left of him. Wolfwood saw what the blonde gunmen was planning on doing and quickly hobbled over to Millie.   
  
"Come on Big girl, we got to get over to that ledge." Milile allowed Wolfwood to help her crawl over the skulls and bones to where Vash now sat, obviously awe-struck at the gruesome sight before them.  
  
"Who would do such a thing?"  
  
"It must be from then the corporation went under. Didn't Molly say that 12 years ago the whole place just stopped. Unbelievably, it's damp and moist down here which means that the sand couldn't preserve the bodies..But still-"Wolfwood stopped his musings as four, large, simultaneous cracks resounded through the cavern-like pit. Vash stood slowly, his face set in grim determination.  
  
Across from them, over the vast expanse of human bones, their four pursuers now stood. Sunlight still trickled through the pit's open mouth, encasing them in it's beam and shoving their crude shadows upon the jagged surface of decay. It was then that body and shadow combined and the four swiftly moved across the space, deftly jumping and running over skulls and other bones in the process.  
  
Vash had his .45 Colt unholstered long before then and was now trying to take aim. But the cloaked beings were fast. No, he thought, eyes narrowing, they're just moving around a lot. They're not that fast. He'd have to wait until one of them made a move to get on the cliff's edge. Wolfwood had also unleashed his arsenal, opting to use the guns sheltered inside his large cross-like gun instead of that huge piece of weaponry itself.   
  
The figures were getting closer and closer and Vash and Wolfwood got more and more nervous. But just as they were about to fire, the beings stopped and settled into a row a few yards ahead of them. Vash tried in vain to see their faces beneath their dark hoods but it was impossible. There was no wind down here to wave the offending pieces away from his opponents' heads.   
  
Just as Wolfwood was about to question the motives of the four before them, A metal clanking sound echoed through the hollowed pit. It sounded like a heavy door because the hinges squeaked with some unseen strain. Millie let out a short gasp, her hands flying to her mouth as she let out a strangled cry.  
  
"Meryl!!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ooo...Well, I got a whole bunch of Author Alerts of peeps updating and I finally got around to finishing this chappie so I decided to hop on the bandwagon...I know I sorta left it as a cliffie but not to fear!!! I will continue for inspiration abounds in the spirit of the WOMBAT!!! Plz don't ask..It's complicated..Ciao! 


	20. The Pit of Skulls Part 2

Nicolas Wolfwood always considered himself a good fighter. He was clever and quick-witted when engaged in battle and always managed to find some sort of advantage to give him the upper hand. But in this particular case, he could find nothing that would aid him and his friends.   
  
The four figures were still halted, as if waiting some sort of signal from the woman behind them. But when they did move, it was if lightning melded with their heels. They were fast, almost too fast, and Wolfwood knew that just trying to dodge their blows was going to be an act in itself, let alone trying to deal a few blows themselves. Also, There was Millie and Meryl to think of. Big girl and Shortie could be admirable advisaries but in such a fierce battle, they were sometimes hindrances. He didn't want to see anymore happen to either of them and he knew Vash probably felt the same way.  
  
"Meryl, oh, We were so worried-"  
  
"You should be. This displeases me greatly, rodents." From the inky blackness in which Meryl had fallen from, and still crouched before, the Songbird beauty emerged, ivory tresses blending with her white shirt and yet harshly contrasting with the black surrounding behind her. Her crystalline eyes narrowed and shifted between Meryl and the trio in between her and Anthony's rats.   
  
"The order was to kill them. Not to play tag. Now, dispose of them. I want their bodies in pools of blood by the time the Rabbit and I return." Meryl rose to her elbows, the pain in her back never subsiding. One side of her face was smeared in dirt and as she looked up, She could see in her friend's eyes what a fright she must look like. A particularly painful throb from her abused skull made her wince but she didn't attempt to just lay there. She began to stand slowly.  
  
"And you are?" Wolfwood queried. There was no attempt to keep the venom out of his voice and it made Ebony smirk.  
  
"Ebony Songbird, Owner of the Songbird Corporation. Pleased to meet your accquaintence." Without another word, She reached down and wrenched Meryl from the ground. The wound in Meryl's back protested greatly and she clenched her teeth as her nerves ignited. She looked at Millie and then at Vash and Wolfwood stationed behind her. The rats behind them were slowly moving towards them as Ebony and her were slowly making their way to the right, towards another ominous looking door.   
  
"Let go of her! You're hurting her!" Millie tried to lunge for them but Wolfwood caught her. Vash, like a sentinel, stood watching. Meryl caught his eyes and knew that he was trying to search for a way to get out of this without anyone getting hurt. Poor Vash. He was going to be sad after this. One was going to die. Meryl set her jaw. It wouldn't be any of them. None of them would die. She wouldn't see it happen again.  
  
"Don't you dare lay a hand on them Ebony-"  
  
"Or what, Rabbit? Your threats mean nothing to me. I am like Goliath compared to you, you little wretch. Be thankful you at least get to say goodbye to them. You didn't get to last time." Meryl's temper flared. Forgetting her agony, She launched her elbow into Ebony's stomach, successfully doubling the woman over and gasping for breath. At the same time, the rats lunged for the three on the ledge.  
  
)*(  
  
Above them, another battle raged on. Molly deftly jumped over another boulder scattered over the sandy plain as Amparo raced forward. She was conserving her arrows and instead choosing to use her heavy bow like a club. Molly brought her rifle up to block one of Amparo's swings and the two metallic weapons clashed with a ringing sound.   
  
"What are you fighting for anyway?" Amparo growled through clenched teeth.  
  
"I'm fighting for them!"  
  
"Ah! For repentance!" Molly slid the rifle quickly down the length of the bow, bringing it down and firing a shot in Amparo's direction. The blonde rolled to the side, the bullet piercing the sand where she had been standing.  
  
"You're going to tell me it's useless, I can see it in your eyes." Molly rushed her old partner while Amparo dodged with eloquence. Every passing moment, they both grew more and more tired and so it was then Amparo became desperate. Unbeknownst to Molly, The blonde dug in her belt, bringing out a few small knives, like the ones she had used on the man in Molly's home. The redhead lunged forward, rifle jutted out like a sword. Amparo moved to the side, watching her old friend's body pass beside her and with fierce determination, brought the knifes down in Molly's back.  
  
Molly howled in pain and her body dropped heavily to the sand. Blood ran down her spine, coloring her grey dress a morbid maroon. Amparo stood there, clothes blowing in the raspy wind, staring sadly down at Molly's pain-ridden body. She walked calmly towards Molly, placing one boot on her back and digging the heel in to the skin.  
  
"No, Molly. Repentance is our only hope. But the way you seek it is a fool's errand. Goodbye Molly." Amparo readied an arrow slowly, never breaking eye-contact with the woman beneath her. She aimed the arrow at Molly's head and a few tears strayed from her lavendar eyes.  
  
"Goodbye..friend." But it was not to end that way. Summoning her remaining strength, Molly knocked Amparo off balance and while the blonde fell to the sand, She caught her in the crosshairs and shot.  
  
)*(  
  
Meryl left Ebony crumpling to the ground and ran as fast as her injury would allow her. She could see on the rats behind Millie, coming closer and closer, dagger poised to jab into her back. She leapt forward and tackled Millie to the ground while the dagger passed only inches from her shoulder.  
  
Behind them, Vash and Wolfwood were trying to get clear shots at the other three. They kept dancing around here and there, the sudden rupture of skeletal remains the only clue to their movements. Vash cursed quietly but maintained a calm stance. Molly had been right, they would have to shoot to immobilize and even then it might not be enough to prohibit disastrous circumstances. A small yelp from behind him caught his attention and he turned just in time to see Meryl and Millie scarcely dodge another attack. Leveling the barrel of the gun with the cloaked figure's leg, he shot and watched as blood exploded out the otherside. The figure fell to the ground, an oddly feminine cry accompanying its descent. As they landed, Their hood fell off their crown, revealing forest green curls and angry yellow eyes.   
  
"Bastard!" She hissed, reaching for the gun at her side and glaring at Vash all the while. Meryl launched herself ontop of the warrior, fumbling for control of the firearm. Millie raced to help her sempai, holding the girl's arms down with her own strong ones. Finally, Meryl possessed the gun, just in time to see one of the other rats come up behind a distracted Wolfwood. She aimed and shot, the bullet going through the person's chest. Blood once again spat from the wound and Wolfwood barely managed to evade the spray.  
  
"Meryl!" They all stared wide-eyed at the small girl who still held the smoking gun in her shaking hand. She'd just killed again. The body fell heavily to the floor but it was not silent. Ebony's hated cackle rose in the stunned silence. Even the two remaining rats stopped.  
  
"Back to your old murderous ways, eh Meryl? Why do your companions looked so shocked?" Ebony rose, the smirk still glued to her face.  
  
"Shut up." Meryl growled, this time leveling the gun easily with Ebony. There was a look of cool determination in her eyes, one that told whoever she was facing that she meant business. But it didn't seem to deterr Ebony much. She strolled over to the group, keeping them distracted as the the rats looked to each other. Suddenly, they launched themselves at Vash and Wolfwood, rope seeming to unfurl from their wrists which they used to wrap Vash and Wolfwood up. The two fell to the floor, squirming against their bonds even as Millie cried out in surprise when the two got her as well.  
  
Meryl knew the rats wouldn't harm them and so she kept her sights on Ebony. She was trembling slightly but not as much as before. They were all staring at her in disbelief. She'd just shot someone. She just *killed* someone. And that malicious gleam in Ebony's eyes hinted to her that she was going to exploit this as much as possible.  
  
"I'm not surprised. After all, it's no more than I'd expect from you. You did it much the same way then. Once in the chest, a couple in the temple. You murdered them in cold-blood and I guess you've squared with that."  
  
"Shortie, what's she talking about?" Meryl didn't even give Wolfwood a glance just set her steely gaze on Ebony.  
  
"Meryl?" Millie questioned. Vash shook his head ever so slightly.  
  
"No.." He whispered, somehow knowing what she was about to say.  
  
"I killed them. I killed the Songbird Corporation."  
  
Author's Notes: WOOOOHEE!! lol Bet you guys thought I died! Kinda did for a moment but I'm back and I plan on updating a lot more..Enjoy and ciao! 


	21. The Tale of Two 'S's

"How dramatic. You have always been such a drama queen." The harsh voice radiated over the cavern walls like silk over skin. It's dynamic tone hugged the people encased in the rocky terrain, sending chills straight through them to their hearts. Ebony sidestepped around Meryl and the handicapped rat laying on the floor. She glided like water in a circle around her rabbit, eyes never leaving the cool, somehow changed, ones of the black insurance girl.   
  
"I'm not sure of the details myself because the only one who survived to tell the tale stands before us, filled with reluctance to share the story. All I know is that my parents brought her and her pathetic, spineless sister up to my grandfather's office. He and his head council had gathered there for a weekly meeting. I was playing in the hallway with a few dolls when all I heard was gunfire. I raced to the office and when I got there, All I saw was the little rabbit, standing in the middle of a pile of bloody, mutilated bodies. Three of those bodies were my kin, my grandfather, my mother, and my father. She told me she'd killed them all because they had killed Rosemary. I screamed, naturally. I was so young, now so tarnished. But she ran before the security guards could get there." Keeping steady eye contact with her prey, Ebony reached stealthily around her back, untucking her white shirt smoothly with little effort. Her leather tipped fingers grazed the handle of her weapon before enclosing tightly, the contrasting leathers groaning under the pressure.  
  
"Meryl! Look out!" Vash, his sharp eye, had caught Ebony in the act, but before Meryl could react in anyway, Ebony had pulled the handle from her waistband and lashed out at her opponent. Meryl fell backwards, a pain-filled cry joining Ebony's forgotten voice in the towering cathedral ceiling of the cave. The gun fell from her hands right into those of the ivory-haired demoness whose crimson whip now hung limp and harmless in her grasp.  
  
"Meryl!" Millie joined in Vash and Wolfwood's chorus for the short girl as Meryl slowly brought a hand up to her bleeding face.   
  
'Add that to my list of aches and pains.' She thought wryly before standing up. Ebony sneered and cracked the whip intimidatingly.  
  
"I had moved on, killing every last slave by my own hand. The Corporation was gone, my childhood dream, complete. But if my parents taught me one thing besides to hate them without consequence, It would be that you won't gain anything in life by having others do things for you. So I became filled with rage. It was I who should have pulled that trigger, not a lowly slave girl. I went on living here, waiting for the day until I found her and could exact my revenge.  
  
"Then, lo and behold, my dimwitted brother was searching through my parent's file cabinet when part of the drawer became loose. We found my grandfather's diary and his will. Funny how this is all tying in, isn't it? You see, my grandfather states clearly, that to anyone, whether it be family or friend, who could bring him back his two illegitimate daughters by one of his coveted slave girls, would be rewarded with his entire life's savings. Why, living in poverty when you were raised to be nothing but an aristocrat, you'd jump at any chance for a large amount of money."  
  
"Where are you going with this?" Meryl snapped, the stinging sensation of the facial wound and her already vibrant pains in her temples and back adding to her sour mood. She glared through one good eye at Ebony's smirking face. She once thought that she was very pretty, gorgeous even, but no longer. Time had sliced off her edges and now she was sharp and dangerous as a newly forged sword. The worst part was, Meryl had a feeling she knew exactly where Ebony was headed. She chuckled unconvincingly.  
  
"What has this got to do with you treating Shortie like some sort of meal ticket?" Wolfwood gnashed his teeth. He was feeling particularly bitter at this time towards the corporation and their dealings. Not to mention, all this reminiscing reminded him that there were still at least seven children somewhere in this hell hole.   
  
"You think that Rosemary and I, that we were the two illegitimate daughters? That's absurd!" She spat until Ebony silenced her once again with her whip. Expertly, Ebony curled the harsh leather of her weapon around Meryl's arm, twisting her around until the rabbit's back was to her and available for her inspection. Making sure her friends had a good view, even going as far as to nod to them to verify this fact, she dug her fingernails into Meryl's shirt and ripped a large hole in it. Directly on Meryl's spine, in between her defined shoulder blades, was a horrible scar. Still pink, it bubbled up from her otherwise perfect skin in the shape of a cursive S, the end curling into a tiny bird-like figure.  
  
"Our brand. The Songbird Corporation's own specialized brand. There's no other like it on Gunsmoke." Ebony once again turned to Meryl's friends. They all seemed locked in horror at the scar's sudden revelation until Millie fumed and glared up at Ebony.  
  
"And you're proud of that? You should be ashamed!" Expecting a backlash, Millie prepared herself but none came. It was if Ebony heard nothing of what Millie said. She was much more preoccupied in tracing something else beside the scar, something smaller, much smaller. Upon closer inspection, a smaller S, not as raw as the larger one, could be seen directly underneath the other.  
  
"One practice of ours has gained much controversy, even from other slave companies. When a baby is born healthy, very rare, we use a hot needle to put our brand on them. It doesn't seem like a durable scar but it lasts. Here's proof of that."   
  
(*)  
  
Molly stood, or more partially stood, reaching behind her back and yanking all three knives out at once. She let out a painful gasp as she dropped the bloody weapons onto the sand beside the still body of her enemy.  
  
But Amparo had never truly been her enemy. They may have parted on bad terms, Molly refusing to return to the Corporation and Amparo mad at her friend for abandoning her, but underneath all the layers of dust this planet left on them was their ten year-old selves, living in a cardboard box in a small alley somewhere in the annals of July. They left before its untimely destruction being picked up by the slave raiders the night before.  
  
Taking a few steps towards Amparo was a bad idea because she could just feel the gaping holes in her back tearing at her. She finally stopped short and fell to her knees. Amparo's lavendar gaze, open but closed in a way, stared past her, out into the desert she had so wanted to explore.   
  
"I'm sorry, old friend. I'm so sorry. It looks like life gave us both an uneven share. It never was supposed to happen this way."  
  
"Actually, it was." Molly sniffled slightly, tears jarring out of her eyes and she turned despite the tears in her back. A shadow covered her skin from the hot sun but it was an unwelcome shadow. It was Anthony and he strode over purposefully, his slick ivory hair and calculating blue eyes gleaming maliciously.  
  
"It's a good thing you were so hell bent on killing one another. Or it would have made my job a lot harder." He pulled a silver gun from his inside coat pocket and flipped the safety off. Molly raised her own weapon but it was too late. A single shot cut through the air, embedding itself into Molly's forehead. She fell backwards, landing on the sand beside Amparo, blood pulsing out of the clean hole.  
  
"Shame really. You two were the best this Corporation will ever see. Clean up this mess." Anthony raised his head to one of the guards who nodded and grabbed both girls by the wrist. Their bodies left a trail in the dust and sand as the guard dragged them off towards the mansion. Anthony sighed and looked back towards the concealed opening in the rock face. Even over the wind he could hear Ebony's harsh voice.  
  
(*)  
  
Author's Notes: Yes, I know..I'm incredibly evil. ^_^ But I figured the rest could wait until another chapter. Consider yourselves lucky cuz I wasn't happy with the way I was writing this chapter and was gonna give up for awhile when I took a choir trip halfway across my state and spent a lonely night with myself and this story and VOILA!! ^_^ Here it is! Hope you like, and hope you review *hint hint* Ciao!   
  
P.S.: THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! YOU REVIEWERS ARE ABOSULTELY WONDERFUL! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU AND THANK YOU SOME MORE! MAY THE GODS GRANT YOU ALL THE HOT BISHIES...if you're a girl..lol THAT YOU COULD EVER WANT! And if your a boy may they grant you brains..Sorry boys but I'm just having a bad experience with men lately..They drive me CRAZY!..^_^ 


	22. Matters of Time

No one would call a bar party a lavish celebration. The drunks rambled on and on in slurred renditions of songs while beautiful women in tight, revealing dresses laughed and cooed to their babblings. The sounds of glasses clanking, something breaking, chairs moving, feet stomping sometimes drowned out the music. Everything was so cluttered and noisy that any sober person would find the scene chaotic and disgusting. But to a ten year old Meryl, it was beautiful. She'd watch everyone come in and everyone leave, she loved the spontaneity that the bar brought to her young life. The endless possibilities for fun and excitement made every night a new opportunity and she scooped all her chances up like the change she collected from the floor after closing time.  
  
But tonight, the bar was quiet and empty. The usual patrons weren't here, the music wasn't lilting in a fitting swing tune around the bodies usually filling the seats. Meryl sat on the counter, her common spot, and sighed. Tonight was so boring. Not even Molly was here. The only other soul sharing the room with her was Rosemary who did nothing but watch the door apprehensively. Finally, she sighed exasperatedly and lay full on her back, taking up only a few feet of the counter.  
  
"Why is no one here? Shouldn't we be serving drinks and food instead of just sitting doing nothing?" She looked over to Rosemary finding that her elder sister fiddling with her long golden earrings, still absently staring at the door.  
  
"There's a town meeting tonight and everyone, even Molly must attend. Besides, sometimes, Meryl, it's a good thing for it to be a little silent. Don't tell me you like all that bothersome noise?" Rosemary flashed her a look of slight disbelief which Meryl returned by sticking her tongue out.  
  
"Maybe I do. It's certainly more entertaining than staying at the mansion all day just playing with dolls and cleaning thomas stalls. I'm actually starting to forget our old life." There was a slight pause and then Meryl sat up, her long black plaited hair falling from her shoulder to her back. She leaned over to poke at Rosemary's earrings, something she had always been fascinated with, and then looked to Rosemary. Her sister was looking at her with this certain sad look she often gave when Meryl talked about their parents.  
  
"Do you miss them?" Rosemary smiled a little and stilled Meryl's hand from her earring.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Why not? They're our parents. Aren't we supposed to miss them?" When Rosemary said nothing, Meryl leaned back on her hands and looked at the still ceiling fans. "Well I miss them. Especially Momma and her lullabies. You can't say you don't miss her lullabies, Rosemary."  
  
"Meryl. I..I've never been very close with Mother or Father. I'm not sure why but I just wanted to tell you something. About them." She sounded very nervous, too nervous for Meryl to feel comfortable.   
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well..It's just..Mother and Father. They're-" The doorknob rattled and Rosemary tensed quite visibly her eyes flying open in terror. Meryl frowned as Molly's head appeared behind the door. Her red curls, pulled back into a ponytail, bounced as she came in from the cold desert night.  
  
"I'm so sorry I'm late. The meeting ran later than expected. Time to shut the lights off."  
  
"We're not having any business tonight?" Meryl hopped off the counter, all thoughts of what Rosemary had been trying to tell her forgotten.  
  
(*)  
  
"Now I know." Meryl whispered lightly. The sensation of Ebony's fingernail had long disappeared and now she could see her leather boots in her lowered eyesight.  
  
"That's right. My grandfather says that the slave girl had two children, one two years older than the other. He wasn't sure if they had gone to the same family or not. All he knew was that they were gone. They killed her you know, right after the birth of the second child." Ebony's boot came up quickly and connected with Meryl's jaw. She squeezed her eyes tightly as she fell backwards, the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth. She leaned to the side and allowed the few drops to spill out. Her vision was hazy and bright stars flashed in front of her eyes. She felt sick.  
  
"Stop it!" Milly's voice rang out somewhere behind her, a sad, torn voice. But somehow she wasn't really listening. Meryl felt like a bombshell had been dropped on her when she was kidnapped, once again, by this damned corporation. But she had really been blown away by this revelation. Her parents hadn't been her parents at all? How could this be? Sure, she didn't remember a lot about her mother or father, but she remembered loving them and feeling safe with them. With the nausea waves her stomach was riding on, came a sudden spark of anger. She struggled to raise herself to her elbows well Ebony smiled maliciously over her. Meryl decided then and there that she hated that grin and she hated this Ebony.  
  
"Liar." She whispered. "You're a liar. A dirty liar!" Ebony scoffed and waved to the rats behind Vash and Wolfwood. They moved swiftly around the two men to flank Meryl's shivering form. With strong arms, they hefted Meryl to her feet, keeping a strong grip on her shoulders.  
  
"Deny it all you want. In a few short minutes, I will be rich and you will be dead. Take her down to the parlor. Mr. Baker will be waiting. I will follow shortly, but first, I have some business to attend to." The two remaining rats began to walk towards the other door leading out of the cavern. Meryl tried to struggle but the abuse to her head had just been too much and she finallly succumbed to darkness.   
  
"No! Wait! Stop it, bring her back!" Vash flexed his muscles, pressing against the ropes around his torso with force. He watched helplessly as they dragged her through the door. The heavy metal slammed, resounding throughout the cavern. Vash stopped writhing and instead focused on Ebony whose eyes had never left their little group. He didn't have much time.  
  
Author's Notes: wow...This was a hard chapter to write. As the story gets to it's climax, it's getting harder and harder. Action isn't my strongpoint, angst and drama is more my forte. But I'll try my best. This, I'll admit, isn't but I've been pressed for time and this has been a week-long project. Sorry! Forgive me!! I won't make promises on the next chapter but now that this one's over you can expect it to be out pretty soon. THANKS to my WONDERFUL reviewers for putting up with me and my up-down writer's block thingies. You guys are great and thanks for staying with me for so long, sorry again to keep you waiting! Ciao! 


	23. Struggle

Humming. Soft, lilting humming. It was such a lonesome lullaby, such a haunting melody that floated through her mind and out through her mouth. She didn't care if they thought her strange, she let her brain and her vocal chords work in unison, both of them remembering the tune with absolution. As she sang, she brought her gun to her face for inspection, opening the barrel and seeing five perfectly good bullets resting in their metallic nests. The sound of cloth ripping drowned out her music for a few seconds and she turned her head slightly to see the injured rat doctoring up her leg. The girl watched monotonously, looking forlorn that she had been brought down so easily. Anthony wouldn't be pleased with her. The rats were his favorite group of brigands and murderers.   
  
Two women and two men had been what the rats were compromised of. Their real names had long since been forgotten and they went only by the names of their special weapons. For instance, the green haired rat who had been shot in the leg was named Daggers because of her precious weapon. The one that had been killed was named Knuckles because of his favorite set of hand armor with sharp edges that he would use to slice and dice his opponents. The two others were called Stars, a mousey, but strong, woman who preferred old fashioned shuriken, and Pikes, a lean red head who hid a folding pike in his tattered cloak. They had been brought together much like Molly and Amparo had been, thrust into brutal training at tender ages, bred to be nothing but merciless killers. They were like sick animals, destined only to slay and maim. And there was no place for sick animals in the new kingdom she was about to create.  
  
She leveled the gun with Daggers pretty head and shot. In a violent splash of red, the forest green hair disappeared and the beautiful golden eyes were eliminated. The ground turned from a brown russet to that of crimson as the body fell limp to the puddle. She smiled again as the shocked gasps of her captives followed the harsh discharge. There was even the precious sound of crying, a terrible wailing that seemed to calm her rather than annoy her. Odd because she used to hate when the slaves would cry in the middle of the night, a low, mournful keening that used to keep her up.   
  
"Why did you do that! Why! Why did you kill her!" Ebony turned her head and coldly looked at the spikey blonde. His blue eyes were full of rage, of anger. She felt nothing from his seething gaze. There was nothing but ice in her veins.  
  
"She was injured. She was useless. You don't keep around a mouse whose neck has been snapped in the trap, even if it is still twitching, do you?"  
  
"That's no reason to end a life!" The weeping girl was still staring at the messy heap of bones and blood in front of her. Ebony ignored the blonde's struggling and walked over to the rabbit's friend. Kneeling in front of her, so her body blocked the gruesome sight, she brought sharp nails to the girl's chin, raising her face so she was staring into the childish cerulean eyes, so unlike her own.  
  
"Life ends every day without reason. Death has no reasons, it makes no explanations. Death is the only thing on this god forsaken planet that doesn't judge. Or is it?" Ebony stood, now capturing the attention of the three tied up people on the ground. The girl's eyes went straight back to the body of the girl. "Maybe Death does judge. Whatever it does, it comes on swift wings for some. I won't prolong your suffering." Ebony spun the barrel of her gun around before yanking the gun upwards to make it stop. She closed her eyes as she cocked the gun and pointed it at the girl's trembling form.  
  
"But you'll prolong Meryl's." She whispered. "You'll make Meryl suffer. If it's true what you say, then Death should do the judging of who suffers, not you." Ebony smirked and tightened her hold on the trigger.  
  
"Is that so? I see, I've done nothing but contradict myself haven't I?"  
  
"It's only human." The black-haired man spat, his navy gaze boring holes through Ebony. She didn't remove the gun from its target but did smile at the man slightly.  
  
"T'is a curse we all must bear." She shot the blonde a look, surprised to find he wasn't looking at her at all. She frowned as she realized that his hand was resting calmly at his side, on top of the handle of his gun that he had dropped when the rats got to him. She narrowed her eyes as he looked up at her, glaring calmly and determined. Ebony raised her gun, meaning to shoot him, but it wasn't meant to be.   
  
The bullet grazed her thumb, ripping through the flesh and tearing at the bone. She cried out painfully as she dropped the gun, the bullet firing somewhere up into the ceiling as the gun hit the floor. The girl gave a small yelp of surprise even as the black-haired man tackled her, his ropes somehow shed as well. She growled angrily. Perhaps she did underestimate them all. But her foul mood wouldn't last forever. Dust began to fall from above and small rocks were beginning to drop as well. The blonde looked up to the ceiling for just a second and that's when Ebony made her move. Dashing as fast as she could run she made for the door.   
  
"Hey! Tongari! Psycho's getting away!" She heard the man shout as she clutched the handle of the door and swung it open. She burst through it just a bullet tore it's way into her calf. She clenched her teeth in agony but continued down the stairs, leaving a trail of blood and the collapsing cavern behind her.  
  
(*)  
  
She couldn't stop crying. The icey hands were running up and down her legs and arms again, spreading her over the dark surface. She tried pushing the coldness away, tried calling out for Rosemary but she just couldn't. It was because she knew Rosemary was dead. She had seen Rosemary practically bleed to death on the beautiful blue velvet carpeting, had watched in horror as her own hand had pulled the trigger again and again and their ugly faces erupting in masses of blood, tissue, and bone.   
  
The cold hands ran along the insides of her thighs and across her chest, brushing along every scar on her body, even the ones that had almost healed. But the coldest hand was directly over her two scars, groping the skin and caressing her shoulder blades in a terrifying massage. Her throat wouldn't make noise. Her mouth was agape in a silent scream. The nightmare just kept going. It wouldn't end. Only death would heal the scars, only death would warm the cold hands. Only the sweet abandonment of existence would stop it. And in that instant she wanted to die. She wanted to just go.  
  
----  
  
Meryl gave a short gasp of pain as she was dropped to the hard ground. She blinked a few times, anguish radiating over her body. Two pairs of boots came up on either side of her. They stilled, standing like sentinels guarding treasure. She looked away from the boots up to the two other people in the room.  
  
Between a couch and a lavish coffee table, stood a well-groomed man. He carried a simple, black leather briefcase at his side. But even in its simplicity, it gave Meryl the chills. It was ominous. She glared up at the blonde as he glared back at her.  
  
"Is this the person in question, Mr. Songbird?" The man gave an irritated look to the other man, the identical twin to Ebony. Meryl glared at him as well, not feeling in a kind mood at the moment. She hadn't seen him all that much but Ebony had mentioned her twin. She didn't know his name but then again it didn't really matter.   
  
"I believe so, Mr. Baker. Rats?"  
  
"Yes Master Anthony." They bowed as Anthony nodded and they backed towards the end of the room. Anthony sauntered up to the still prone Meryl, tipping her chin up with the toe of his boot. His eyes gleamed with unhidden malice and he cruelly smiled back to Mr. Baker who had set open his briefcase on the coffee table.  
  
"Oh yes, this is the one. Now, how long before you have your documented proof?" Mr. Baker shook his head while prodding at a syringe.  
  
"A few minutes to maybe a few hours. Depends on how well she and my equipment cooperate." As Mr. Baker turned down to his work, Meryl noticed Anthony give him a torrid frown. Abruptly his boot fell away from her chin, and she, not quite ready to catch her still fuzzy head, cried out as her face hit the hard floor. He didn't even utter an apology, just sat down opposite Mr. Baker and looked into the bottom of his briefcase.  
  
"How does this work?" Mr. Baker smirked and set the syringe he had been playing with down. He looked at Anthony across the table and began.  
  
"It's quite a simple procedure. Using technology that my father has passed onto me, I am able to take a small sampling of this girls' blood," He paused and looked over at the still Meryl, nodding at her lengthy injuries, "if there's any to be had, slide it into this contraption, see if it matches your grandfather's and voila!" He began to assemble a strange hunk of machinery with odd tubes of glass in metal-like cylinders. Anthony peered suspiciously at the sight, sighed and then turned to the doorway. It wasn't long before Mr. Baker was ready and was walking towards Meryl with his syringe poised.  
  
She didn't even really try to struggle as he grabbed her arm. Meryl watched, confused, as the prominent man dug the needle into the crook of her arm, wincing slightly at the pinch. He gave her not even a second glance , just ripped the needle from her skin, its belly now full of her blood, and walked back to the table.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: I apologize now for the chapter's lateness and it's shortness but you must forgive me, it's a busy week and I need to start fresh to really make the next chapter a lot better. Thanks to you who reviewed my last chapter and my faithfuls who've stuck with me since the very first chapter. You're the reason that this is well on the way to being my first finished story. Till the next chapter, Ciao! 


	24. The Final Puzzle Pieces

She stopped halfway down the stairs, clutching at her bleeding leg with her uninjured hand. She growled under her breath as the blood oozed between her fingers. The light from the room she was trying to get to shine around the corner. The murmur of voices had been the predominant noise until the overpowering roar of the cavern's collapse overtook the conversation she was hearing parts of. Then, as the noise ceased, it was replaced with the sound of fast and heavy footsteps.  
  
Ebony cursed violent before heaving herself to her good leg and hobbling down the stairs. Once she got to the door, she would lock those fools out and by the time they got in, the money would be in the bank, she would be gone, and the Rabbit would be dead. She smiled at the thought of the precious sum just waiting for her to sink her claws into and at the sheer luck that had handed her the opportunity.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
'That office is supposed to be off limits.' Ebony growled to herself as she practically flew up the stairs. She had just returned from purchasing two little girls, both with flouncy red curls past their waist. They had been fairly cheap, though Boss never turned down an offer from her. It was probably because he was afraid of her quick temper, hearing of its terrifying wrath from his fellow slave traders. Ebony had returned in a good mood to say the least, throwing the two girls in her parents' wing of the mansion, then striding off to see her brother about her find, like she usually did. But Anthony was not in his usual place. She entered the public study where her grandfather's old colleagues would gather on their days off to smoke, drink, and debate. Ebony was accustomed to seeing her brother resting in a still relatively padded chair, pipe in mouth, book in hand. But today, he wasn't there. She went on a search of the entire floor but didn't find him. And that's when it dawned on her.  
  
She burst into the office through the partially opened doors, fuming at her sibling's insolence towards her. Anthony's head popped out from around a corner. He was smiling.   
  
"You'll never believe what happened today, Nee! Our luck is finally changing!" Ebony crossed her delicate arms over her chest, crystalline eyes glazed with anger.  
  
"What do you think you're doing in here?" She hissed. Her tone didn't deterr his mood at all and he bounded around the corner, his dark suede vest and black pants covered in dust and fuzz. Ebony looked him over head to toe, all the while never losing the intensity of her glare. But then her eyes caught something interesting, one large envelope and an open book clutched in Anthony's hands. "What is that?" She questioned, moving closer.  
  
"That's the best part. I was down in the study, like normal, leafing through some books, when I decided to look on the higher shelves. So I retrieved a ladder and went up to the fifth shelf. I went through at least twelve books, when I reached the thirteenth, there was something poking out of the top. I was curious so I opened the book and there was this envelope." He hurriedly handed it to Ebony, who took it with hidden enthusiasm. As she opened it, Anthony continued his explanation. "It's grandfather's will! He left his entire estate, including all of his savings and profits of the Songbird Corporation, to us!" Ebony's eyes lit up, shimmering like water, as she paged through the document. She smiled a great smile and resisted the urge to jump and down. She looked to her brother excitedly.   
  
"That makes us millionaires, Anthony!"  
  
"Billionaires, dear sister, billionaires." Anthony whispered. He flipped the book in his hand around, showing Ebony the entire record of her grandfather's bank account. She giggled, pressing her hand to her mouth, then grabbing Anthony's shoulder and giving him a big kiss on the cheek.  
  
"What are we waiting for? Let's get dressed in our finest and head to the bank!"  
  
---------------------  
  
"I'm sorry. Could you..please?" Ebony let her forehead drop to her palm and she rubbed furiously at the offending headache. Anthony sat beside her, mouth agape and blanky staring at the bank teller and the lawyer across the desk from them.  
  
"We're terribly sorry, Mr. and Ms. Songbird, but according to your grandfather's will, in order to receive the amount said you have to present his two children."  
  
"His two children are dead, you imbecile. Our parents and uncle died years ago, what kind of arrangement is this?" Ebony snapped. The bank teller leaned away from her outburst, looking at her as if she were a sand worm in a beautiful pink and white dress, not a beautiful woman.  
  
"Not your father and his brother, Ms. Songbird. If you would have taken time to read the fine print, so to speak, you would see here that Mr. Songbird requests his two missing children to be presented to receive the money." The suave lawyer smiled graciously at Ebony. It did nothing to sway her savage nature. She stood up rapidly, swung her skirts away from her legs and stormed out of the office, Anthony trailing like a dog with its tail between its legs.  
  
---------------------  
  
"What children? What kind of joke is this? He never meant for us to have that money, he was just toying with us! That bastard, I'm glad he's dead!" The white-haired beauty stormed around the study, throwing books left and right, occasionally pausing to tear out pages and rip them to shreds. Anthony ducked one book as he sucked at the end of his pipe, smoke leaking from between his sickly red lips.  
  
"Something's amiss. Grandfather was adamant about his company continuing, even after his death. We were the only suitable heirs at the time. Something tells me that he wasn't mocking us." Suddenly, Anthony started, nearly dropping his pipe as he took off running for the office. Ebony cried out in shock and quickly pursued, running out of the study, down numerous hallways, and up a flight of secret stairs. It was only a few minutes before they reached the forbidden office. By the time Ebony reached the doorframe, clutching it as her chest heaved with the physical effort of running, Anthony was already digging through her grandfather's undisturbed desk.  
  
"Have you gone mad!? What the hell do you think you're doing, you little worm!" Anthony glared at her over the top of the desk, not pausing in his ransack of every drawer.  
  
"Didn't grandfather keep a journal or a diary, some sort of personal log book somewhere?" Ebony blinked blankly, regaining her breath. She placed an index finger under the round curve of her bottom lip.  
  
"I think so. I thought I saw him writing in it once. If it's in here, it's most likely behind the mirror." Behind the mirror, there was a secret cabinet, one that Ebony had managed to find by sheer luck and a little sneakiness. Anthony lunged from the floor to the mirror behind the desk, throwing it open on its hidden hinges and digging in the cob-webbed space. His eyes lit up as his hand hit something. Anthony pulled his arm slowly from the space, both he and his sister holding their breath. From the shadowy abyss, he clutched in his hand a red leather book with the embossed title of 'Journal.'  
  
(*)  
  
Ebony gritted her teeth as she finally triumphed over the stairs. She practically fell through the heavy metal door, gripping its handle to keep from tumbling head over heels. Anthony, her dear, dear Anthony, leapt from his place on the couch at once, rushing to help her. By the time he reached her, she had already managed to close the door and was placing the heavy locks in place.  
  
"Nee..Oh, Nee what happened to you -"  
  
"Shut up Anthony, before I decide to put another hole in that pitiful head of yours. Is this process nearly finished, Mr. Baker?" Mr. Baker looked positively stunned, sitting on the couch with his devices whirring before him. The earlier, more elegant, version of Ebony Songbird was gone, and it gave him quite a shock to see her grabbing her brother's gun from its holster and pointing it at his head. "I asked you a question, you piece of lawyer scum, now answer!"  
  
"A-a-almost! Just a few more minutes! Please don't shoot me!" He held his hands up defensively, shaking with fright.  
  
"Stop trembling you oaf and get going! It won't take them long to get here. They want her." Ebony motioned with the barrel of the gun to the still sprawled out Meryl. Her breathing was coming in heavy rasps as she struggled to Meryl's side, pushing away Anthony's helping hands. As she kneeled roughly to the floor, Ebony reached down and grabbed a handful of black hair, yanking the abused woman's face from the royal blue carpeting. Meryl let out a small cry of pain and opened one eye enough to see the lawyer jerkily taking something and putting it into his machine, then bending his head to some sort of lens piece.   
  
"Did you hear that, you filthy little rodent? By the time your cavalry arrives, you'll be nothing but a heap of freezing flesh and bones." Ebony all but slammed Meryl's face to the floor once more. But Meryl didn't utter a word, just let out a small cough. She moved her neck painfully to look up blankly.  
  
"Why do you hate me so much?"  
  
"I've told you already."   
  
"No. That can't be it. All this hatred, all this toil, just for money and the claim that you're finally completing a dream? No, this is more personal than that, Ebony." Meryl slowly rolled over so she lay on her back and was now face to face with her injured captor. Ebony was glaring profusely, her bleeding leg staining the beautiful carpet. Anthony watched apprehensively, hand resting on his empty holster, eyes resting on his gun in his angry sister's hand. If it was one thing Anthony had learned, it was never give his sister a weapon when her mood was soured.   
  
"I-I- I have the results." The lawyer quietly said. It was at that moment that Ebony and Meryl's eyes met and Meryl understood. And it was the moment that there was a large bang on the door and a rather large dent had formed in the metal.  
  
"Meryl! Meryl are you okay?!" It was Millie, bless her heart, and where there was Millie there was Wolfwood and where there was Wolfwood, there was Vash. But even that thought did nothing to lessen the burden on her sore shoulders. Ebony turned around from Meryl, standing with difficulty, and limping to the lawyer.   
  
"And? Don't keep me waiting, Mr. Baker." Another gun shot, another dent in the door.  
  
"It's a positive match. This girl is your grandfather's daughter." Ebony's eyes narrowed with her evil smile and she motioned to the papers laying beside Mr. Baker's ancient machine.  
  
"Fill them out, and step on it. I want her to be dead as soon as possible." Mr. Baker wasted no time in digging a pen out of his pocket and scribbling out the appropriate blanks. Ebony turned slightly, looking first at the door and its two sentinels, and then at Meryl. "It's all falling into place." She growled happily. Taking aim, Ebony rapidly shot the two rats, their heads exploding like balloons in a spray of red. Anthony screamed in shock and anger, pulling at his hair and looking accusingly at his sister.  
  
"Those were my Rats!! I can't believe you shot them!! Do you know how much money and training-" Anthony's mouth hung open mid-sentence as Ebony turned irritated to him and stuck the cold barrel of his gun against his teeth.  
  
"Keep talking my darling brother but I warn you, I'm not in a generous mood as of late."   
  
"Meryl! Meryl please say something!"  
  
"If you hurt her-"  
  
"Shut up, you annoying beasts! That door is reinforced steel and bullets won't pierce it very easily. So, the way I see it, is you have two options. Either sit there, shoot at the door and waste you bullets, or leave. It's that simple."  
  
"The paperwork is done, Ms. Song-" Mr. Baker had barely looked up from the documents when Ebony turned the gun on him. She didn't hesitate, the instant his eyes caught hers she shot.   
  
"Meryl!!" Meryl closed her eyes. Behind her lids she could see him. She saw Vash smiling, something he rarely did genuinely, and she in turn had to smile at the thought of him and his sea blue eyes. She felt moist droplets on her face, most likely blood from the most recent death. Could she let it end like this? Could she just allow Ebony to blatantly take out her childhood suffering out on her, when she had, at least in her personal opinion, suffered more? She felt Ebony's prescence over her and was just about to open her eyes when the resounding gun shot filled her ears.  
  
(*)  
  
She was standing beside him, not talking, not even moving. Just staring at him through a haze of black hair. Somewhere in the strands he could faintly see flashes of gold. Her beautiful grey eyes were looking at him intensely and he wondered what she was trying to tell him. Suddenly, she fluidly stepped to the side, the wall behind her coming into view. He wiped a stray piece of blonde hair from his eyes and began to take a closer look at the bricks that made up the wall.  
  
"Vash! What the hell do you think you're doing! If we don't get this door down quick, Shortie's in big trouble! We don't have time to fool around with a wall!" Wolfwood was preparing his rocket launcher, Millie hiding behind him, when Vash pushed against one brick. The whole wall began to shift and change, mechanical whirring heard in the background. He looked up to her, but she was gone. He looked around confused when Wolfwood and Millie pushed past him into the new tunnel.  
  
"C'mon Mr. Vash! Hurry!" Vash nodded dumbly and followed, but turned when he heard some sort of odd whisper. She was standing in the doorway, still as always.  
  
  
  
**It is time to dance**  
  
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Author's Notes: WOO! Enjoy this chappie..Cost me many a late night of sleep! Thanks to my reviewers! Short note, not much to report except I'm missing From Hell!! I LUFF JACK THE RIPPER!!!!! ehehehe Ciao! 


	25. Requiem for a Silence

She felt the lines of his face, every contour, every inch, one fingertip swirling around the thick drops of blood that had fallen on his ivory skin. And then she kissed his torn forehead and closed his wide, staring eyes, apologizing silently.   
  
Ebony rose from Anthony's side, eyes still trained on his body. She looked over to Meryl, laying on the ground with her eyes still closed. After a few seconds of silence, They fluttered open. The slate-grey irises were clearly confused and they sought out the cobalt depths of Ebony's almost instantaneously. They stared at each other for a moment, messages of emotions passing between them before Ebony sighed and brought her gun up to her face.  
  
"Only one bullet left. And I'm afraid that bullet has your name on it, Rabbit."  
  
Why did you shoot him?" Meryl whispered, wincing before rolling herself back onto her stomach and painfully pushing herself up to her hands and knees. Ebony scoffed and rolled the revolver around her fingertip.  
  
"Anthony? My brother never meant as much to me as Rosemary meant to you. We were raised to be each other's enemies, not each other's friends. That was me being weak, releasing him from his pathetic hold on a meaningless life."  
  
"No life is meaningless." Meryl growled. Ebony chuckled airily, her smile turning into a sneer as she turned to face the dark-haired girl head on.  
  
"I suppose you're going to tell me that Rosemary taught you that."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Heh. Rosemary is dead. You only prolong your own suffering by holding on so tightly." She raised the silver revolver and leveled it with Meryl's forehead. But Meryl didn't flinch, didn't back away, only kept looking deep into Ebony's eyes, as if searching.  
  
"What are you looking for, Ebony?" There was a long pause where Ebony sighed inwardly and closed her eyes for a split second. When she opened them, Meryl could see the steely resolve in them.  
  
"I don't know yet. But when I find it, That's when I'll know." Her finger enclosed on the trigger, pulling against the weight that was there. "You can thank me when we see each other next." The gun shot resounded in the ceiling leaving the sharp echoes of a lost cause.   
  
*~~~~~~~~~*  
  
Wolfwood and Millie flew through the tunnel, dimly lit by small lights embedded into the uppermost wall. They didn't slow at any corner, didn't hesitate when they came across one burnt out light, just kept running. Their footsteps echoed like knives in the silence, two pairs edging forward into pivotal darkness.   
  
Millie glanced out of the corner of her eye at Wolfwood. He looked just as determined as she felt, Cross Punisher hoisted on his shoulders, ready to be unleashed upon anyone he chose. She couldn't help but smile a little at his prescence, which made her feel a lot more hopeful. But still, it had gotten so quiet after that last gunshot, and all their cries for Meryl had been in vain. Closing her eyes tightly, Millie hoped and prayed that they weren't too late.  
  
Suddenly, Wolfwood halted, skidding on the dirt floor and she yelped and abruptly stopped, her speed sending her forth into a heavy metal object. She felt it fall away from her, leaving her to fall to the floor with a short 'oof'. Millie realized that the thing she had run into had been a doorway and she looked up hurriedly when she realized that this door had to lead to where they wanted to get too. Behind her, Wolfwood took a sharp intake of breath and as she looked up at the rest of the room, she couldn't help but gasp as well.  
  
"Hey guys, wait for-" Vash came running up to the door behind Wolfwood, his red coat flying past his legs and his gun shining in the newfound light. He stopped short as his eyes fell upon the disastrous contents of the room. There was blood almost everywhere, soaking into the carpet and running like painted waterfalls down the walls. Four bodies lay total, their heads all torn and bloody and their red contents spilt on their body and clothes.  
  
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph..." Wolfwood muttered. Vash silently agreed but thanked God that those four bodies weren't Meryl's. His two other companions realized this too and they eyes averted from the gruesome sight up to the two last remaining people in the room.  
  
Ebony stood before a crouching Meryl, a smoking bullet-hole on Meryl's right side. The two girls were glaring at each other like mortal enemies and Vash was about to break the silence when suddenly Meryl lunged forward, connecting with Ebony's torso in a crushing tackle. Both girls were knocked to the floor, Ebony's back connected with the corner of the endtable. She let out a choked cough before Meryl delivered a jaw-snapping punch to Ebony's face. The ivory haired girl reeled for a second before baring her teeth. Unmercifully, she brought her knee up and slammed her boot into Meryl's stomach, sending Meryl rolling backwards. Before the dark-haired insurance girl could attack, Vash had leapt in between the warring women. He caught Meryl head on, taking a step back to balance himself against her pushing.  
  
"Let me go! Let me go!" Finally, Meryl went limp in his unrelenting embrace, burying her face into his chest and letting out gut-wrenching sobs. Ebony lay behind the two, staring at Vash's red-clad back before shaking her fuzzy head and scrambling to get up. Her hand clutched onto the papers, the money that would deliver her soul, and taking off for the door.   
  
"Hey! She's getting away!" Wolfwood moved to pursue her but Millie stopped him, shaking her head.  
  
"We got what we came for. It's time to leave now. Meryl can't stay here." He hesitated before relaxing and nodding his head. The two stood and watched as Vash soothed Meryl, her sobs filling the deadly emptiness of the stained room.  
  
A/Notes: Wowees...Such a response!! lol I spose I owe everyone an apology for taking so long...Forgive me!! It's just that life hasn't been what it used to be and I kinda went on a vacation. So..Here's the second to last chapter and THANK YOU to all who stayed with the story for such a long time and through all of my uncomfortable silences...^_^ Ciao! 


	26. What Seems Like an Ending

Where there had been nothing, there was now silence. A sweet, lilting silence that seemed to soothe her aching eyes behind their lids. Below her, she could hear and feel movement, testament that the house was in fact occupied by someone not as invalid as she. Occasionally, voices would float up the stairs and through the door and she would think about opening her eyes but as quick as they came they were gone and it didn't matter anymore if she was awake. So she'd let herself fall back into oblivious silence and the whole world would leave her alone. The aches and pains of her body hadn't gone away and even when she was oblivious with sleep it still throbbed in the back of her mind. Her dreams were filled with agony and sadness and this intense, burning hatred that seemed to fizz somewhere beneath the murky waters of overpowering sorrow. The only other colors she could see besides black were red..and white. A silky, sheening white and a blazing, blood red that seemed to melt and drip like blood.  
  
&  
  
"I sure am glad to know that the children got back safely. There's some nice families here in town willing to take care of 'em until we can get word out to theirs." Dave took off his wide-brimmed hat with one hand and scratched his scalp with the other, looking at the three young people across the living room. They smiled warily at him before the blonde man nodded.  
"That's good. We're...um...We're sorry about Molly." Dave nodded in return, looking down at his dusty boots. Molly would have never had him set foot in her home with those boots on, insisting that her house was the only clean thing in the dirty little town. He smiled absentmindedly.  
"Molly was a good gal. Always was. I just...I just wish it wouldn't have ended this way." Dave sighed and then slapped his palms down on his dirty jeans before rising. The three across from him rose also and followed him to the door. He turned and met the eyes of each of them, lingering on the crystalline ones of the spiky blonde. "I wanna thank you kids, for doing everything you did. It would still be going on if it wasn't for you. Molly...Molly'd be proud." And he left, walking out onto the porch with the slam of the door accompanying him. One look out over the dusty road, and heaving another sigh, this one of exhaustion, and Dave was off back home.  
  
"He's a very nice man, very honest. Everything a sheriff is supposed to be. I'm glad this town has him." Millie chirped as she poured the tea. Wolfwood smiled and laughed through his cigarette.  
"There seems to be a lot of those people here. It would be a wonderful place to live." The room went silent save for the sound of tea pounding into cups. Millie gave small sideways glance to the stairs before seating herself next to the black-clad priest and handing him a cup of steaming liquid. He murmured his thanks but set the cup untasted on the endtable. They both looked apprehensively at the staircase.  
It seemed like it had been so long ago that they had all been sitting here, speaking with Molly about Meryl and Rosemary. But it hadn't even been two days and now everything was different, save for Meryl was still sleeping upstairs in the same bed she had been with her wound. They had returned with the children, received the town's gratitude, and helped clean up all the mess inside Molly's house. Millie tried not to cry when they first came inside the house but she burst into a fit of tears and had to stand outside for awhile. Vash had taken an unconcious Meryl directly up to bed and had only come down once in the many hours that they had both been up there and that was to get a wet washcloth to clean some of the blood off her face. Now it was just a waiting game.  
"Mr. Wolfwood...What do you think happened to Ebony?" Millie asked. Wolfwood shrugged and took a drag on his cigarette.  
"I don't know. She couldn't have gotten far, not with her leg the way it was. I wouldn't worry too much about her honey-" Wolfwood stopped short as there was movement on the stairs. A minute later, the lanky form of Vash appeared, looking tired and weary.  
"How is she?" Millie whispered. Vash sighed and ran a hand down the side of his face.  
"Okay. Everything is healing nicely..I think I'm going to go take nap. Could someone..y'know...go-" Millie jumped from the couch and raced around the coffee table.  
"Of course, Mr. Vash. I'll go sit with Meryl. You just go rest. You look terrible!" She offered him one her infectious grins and then gave him a fierce hug, one that Vash returned with a light smile.  
"Thanks Big girl." She gave the two boys one last look before climbing up the stairs and disappearing into the corridor. Vash watched until her shadow disappeared and then flopped backwards into the couch. Wolfwood pondered him for a moment before closing his eyes in a contemplative fashion.  
"Y'know..We're pretty darn lucky."  
"Yeah. Lucky." Vash muttered before closing his eyes. "No. We really are Vash. Things could have been a lot worse back there. We could have lost Shortie too." Vash sighed reluctantly and opened his eyes to look over at Wolfwood.  
"I know. Hey...After I rest a bit..I think I'm going to leave." Wolfwood shot Vash a glance, then took another deep intake of smoke before shrugging.  
"Leave?"  
"Yeah. As in get out of here, head out, move on." The two sat in an awkward silence for a moment before Wolfwood cleared his throat and adjusted himself in his seat.  
"You're going to leave Shortie and Big girl here, alone?"  
"They can take care of themselves." Vash maintaned a stoney appearance but Wolfwood could tell that underneath the rocky exterior, the big softie was grappling with his decision. The priest knew that Vash had always been at war with himself, especially when it came to the Insurance girls, a short one in particular. Knowing the big oaf, he probably thought it would be best for them if he left.  
"You know they're going to follow you. Save them the trouble and just hang around a bit longer." Vash didn't respond. He just closed his eyes and fell asleep. Though Wolfwood knew better. He wasn't sleeping. He was hiding.  
  
Often, Vash would see her in his dreams. And it was there he realized he was happy, in that moment surrounded by the sweet smell of geranium blossoms, red petals dancing like butterflies across the blue sky above them. He could hear her sweet voice again and she would talk to him like she always did, giving him the best advice she knew, helping him when he thought things were just too overwhelming. But it had been awhile since he was treated to such a dream and today would be no exception.  
He was in the saloon, watching what looked like a scene straight from a picture book, besides the questionable surroundings. Molly, Rosemary, and Meryl were all gathered in a corner table, wash rags left abandoned in a heap on an adjacent table, and three full-to-the-brim pints of he guessed root beer near their hands. They were all smiling and laughing and even though he couldn't hear what they were saying he could tell they were enjoying life.  
"We were talking about my last thomas race. You've seen it." The blonde outlaw didn't turn around at the sound of her voice, just looked down at the wooden floor.  
"Yeah, I guess I have. Why me, Rosemary?" He turned around in his spot and looked down at the black haired girl, her large grey eyes looking up at him in an unemotionless way. She tore her gaze from his eyes and back to the three in the corner.  
"I thought you would have figured that one out by now. You're not human so you naturally have more sensitivity to my presence than brash, loud humans. And besides, I couldn't think of anyone better." There was a long pause as young Meryl rose and yawned and Molly scooped her up in her arms and began to make her way to the stairs. The Rosemary in the dream cleaned up the pints of root beer then turned out the light and made her way up the stairs. Now it was just them. The Rosemary that was there walked over to the corner table and absentmindedly ran her fingertips over its surface. There was this sad yet accepting look in her eyes when she turned back to Vash. "Thank you. You didn't have to help."  
"Would you have let me turn away?" He asked. Rosemary gave a small smile, one that fit her.  
"Probably not. But thank you nonetheless. Meryl..She's going to have a lot to deal with when she wakes up. I know that you can help-"  
"You're wrong. I can't help her anymore than she can help me. I saved her life but I can't save her soul." Vash spat the words out as if they were poison. People always wanted him to save them, he was the savior, the hero. "What if I don't want to be Mr. Save-The-Day anymore?" He snapped at the girl and in response she gave him her most intimidating glare.  
"It's not something you choose, you know. You're looking at this gift as if it were a burden. But what goes around comes around. One day, you'll be glad you saved all those people you did. They won't let their debt go unpaid, and that includes my sister. You made your choice long ago." "Can't people unmake choices? I'm tired of figuring out everybody else's problems. I've got my own to deal with." Vash sat down at the bar and propped his sulking face up with his hands. He looked only straight ahead at an old-looking mirror on the wall, one that reflected the bottles of wine and liquor in front of it and the bitter face of someone he thought he knew.  
"You don't know how silly you sound." Vash cast an angry frown in Rosemary's reflection but the frown soon melted away as he saw her beaming face. Her mouth was twisted into such a beautiful smile he couldn't help but be reminded of someone and it helped his mood slightly. "You can't honestly say that. Do you want to know why? Because you're Vash and Vash is someone who'd rather deal with someone else's problems than his own. Take my advice, Mr. Stampede, if you stand back and let your destiny come to you, You'll be a lot happier." As he was about to answer, the scene went black and before he knew it he was back in the living room with a sore neck and back, sprawled on the couch and covered with a blanket.  
  
The next morning, after Wolfwood had woken up to an empty bedroom and a quiet house, the priest wandered down the hall, checking in on the short girl, then down the stairs. He had half expected Vash to stay, the blonde being a big softie. But he still wasn't surprised when he found no traces of the gunmen anywhere in the tiny house. The red trench coat had once hung on the coat rack near the door. It had been removed. The sofa where Wolfwood had left the outlaw on before he had turned in was empty and cold. Wolfwood sat down on its cushions and ran a hand through his messy black hair. Upstairs, he could hear Millie moving around in Meryl's room, her muffled footsteps moving across the ceiling towards the door. The priest calmly searched for words to explain to the Big girl what Vash had done but he knew that none were going to be able to break the news easily to her. Just as Millie's shoes were visible on the stairs, The door to the house opened wide and in walked a red-clad gunman toting two paper bags filled with groceries.  
"I'm back!"  
"She's awake." Vash's previous sun-filled statement fell on deaf ears as Millie quietly appeared on the last step, looking downwards. Wolfwood looked from Vash to Millie than dug in his coat pocket for a cigarette, muttering things about the two of them being more than his poor heart could handle.  
  
"Small girl's awake, huh?" Vash asked as he set the paper bags on the table in the kitchen. A seated Millie nodded solemnly and looked away towards the floorboards.  
"Yes, but..something's wrong. I asked if she was hungry or thirsty and if she needed anything and she..she just smiled at me and shook her head and said she was fine. Then she told me she wanted to get dressed and asked where her clothes were, that's when I said that I had washed them and they were downstairs." Wolfwood poked around in the bags before pulling out a bag of carefully concealed donuts but as he set them down he gave a small sigh.  
"It's to be expected, I suppose. But I still don't think she's well enough to travel."  
"If I'm well enough to be walking, I'm well enough to be out in that dustbowl." All three occupants of the room jumped and turned towards the doorway, where a slightly thinner and paler Meryl stood, still clad in her pajamas, which she had been wearing for awhile now. Vash shot out of his chair and offered it to her and as their eyes caught each others, she looked away and shook her head. There was a certain emotion lingering in Vash's eyes Meryl couldn't place and didn't want to. She looked to Millie and asked again where her clothes were.  
"Meryl, Wolfwood's right. You should rest some more. You were shot and then beat and-"  
"Just hand me my damn clothes, will you? We'll just take Molly's truck, I'm sure she's not going to mind. Where is she anyway?" There was an uncomfortable silence and when Meryl didn't get a response she gave a dry chuckle and shook her head. "Well if that isn't like Molly to run out and get herself killed. Did you throw away my clothes, Millie, or are they around here somewhere?" Vash frowned as Millie scurried to get Meryl's uniform and regarded the short girl with disbelief.  
"That's it?" He asked incredulously. The room fell awkwardly silent as the insurance girl and the outlaw stared at each other. Wolfwood and Millie glanced at one another from the corner of their eyes, nervously awaiting the explosion that Meryl always seemed to become when questioned.  
"Yes. That's it. What do you want me to say? Do you want to break down and cry? Forget it, I'm through sobbing like a little girl. It's not going to get me anywhere." Meryl snatched her folded and clean uniform from Millie's arms making the taller girl jump and take a step back. The short girl's grey slate eyes burned with that cold kind of fire as she limped back towards the stairs, leaving her three companions to rot in the stillness her statement had made.  
"She sounds like Meryl but at the same time she doesn't." Millie whispered. She grabbed the nearest grocery bag and started to absentmindedly unpack its contents on the counter while Wolfwood and Vash stood seemingly frozen by the table. The stillness was broken when Vash started walking in the direction Meryl had went. "Sure you want to bother shortie right now?" Vash turned to look at the priest, who eyed him with an emotionless demeanor. The outlaw returned the gaze and kept walking for the stairs.  
  
Meryl practically stumbled through her bedroom doorway, wincing at the burning pain in her back and, well, in her entire body. Her head was what hurt most of all and her little journey downstairs had not helped matters. The room in front of her began to spin slightly and she closed her eyes tight against the bile she could taste in the back of her throat. Now wasn't the time to get sick. The small woman forced herself to the bed where she began to tackle the job of undoing her buttons of her pajama shirt. Before she had even had a hold of the topmost button, a tall, lanky figure appeared in the doorframe and Meryl heaved a frustrated sigh as her stomach twirled more now that he was here.  
"What do you want? Can't you see I'm trying to get dressed?" She snapped, averting her eyes and going back to the button she had been trying to undo.  
"Meryl, I understand how you feel but you need more time-" Vash edged into the room, a determined glint in his eyes.  
"I don't need anything but to get the hell out of this sand pit!"Meryl bit back.  
"If anything you need to stay here and try to sort everything out-"  
"Would you just shut the hell up and listen for once?!" Meryl's grip on the button had tightened and when she slammed her arms to her sides, it popped off her shirt and fell with a small click to the wooden floor. "I do not want to be here right now. I do not want to be in this house, I do not want to be in this room, I don't want to even be in this god-forsaken city! In the last 48 hours or so, I have been almost killed and I've found out that everything I once believed was a lie! My head is pounding, I feel like I'm going to throw up, I just want to get the hell out of here.." Before she could even finish, Vash had moved forward and enveloped her in a tight embrace. She felt the apex of his chin rest on her messy black hair and she could feel his hands rub her back absentmindedly. And all at once, everything she had been trying to hold back, all the pain that had begged to be released, all her agony flashed behind her eyes painfully and she began to cry. It was small at first, her eyes welled up and a few tear drops escaped down her face. And then the shame of crying and the relief it brought hit her like a wall of water and she latched onto Vash's arms and openly sobbed into his chest. "I never wanted to wake up!," She cried in between heaves, "All I wanted to do was sleep and not feel anything!"  
Above the short woman's shaking form, Vash's own eyes had begun to tear. The motion of Meryl's sobbing body and the noises of complete despair she was making grabbed at his heart with razor sharp claws and ripped it like it was paper. He forgot about everything but this moment and tightened his hold on her.  
"I'm sorry for what happened to you but you can't forget. You can't forget that not everything is a lie. We're not a lie, Meryl. Millie and Wolfwood, they're not lies. They're real, they're here. And I'm real too." At his words, Meryl's sobs seemed to quiet and before long, her tears had ended. She moved to pull away from him and Vash reluctantly released her. He looked down into her face when it surfaced from his coat and his breath hitched in his throat at what he saw.  
She was beautiful. He couldn't find any other words to describe it. Simply gorgeous, even with the myriad of purple bruises on her cheek. Her usually hard slate grey eyes were now pliable and soft, the corners stained red from her crying. The pale, pink lips that were always pursed with irritation and disapproval were now slack and flushed red. Before he knew what he was doing, the outlaw found his own lips straining to get closer to the ones his eyes were so fixated on. Her breath felt hot on his face as he drew nearer to her mouth and just when their lips were about to meet, Meryl's reverie ended and she turned her head ever so slightly. It was enough to break the spell Vash had been lured under and he abruptly stopped his head's descent, quickly straightening and blushing red to the roots of his stick-straight blonde hair.  
"I..um...Thank you..very much Vash. I..You don't know how much it means to me to have friends like you, Wolfwood, and Millie right now." Meryl's head began to spin quicker as her heart beat faster. She and Vash had almost kissed. It was hard to believe, even though it had just happened. Well, almost happened. Slightly disappointed, but a little too sick to really protest, she moved for the bed. Her vision darkened for a split second and in that second she felt her hand miss the edge of the bed and her body fall forward. But she wasn't worried about that. It was her stomach unending swirling that had caught her attention and as Vash caught her and her body strained against his arms, she twisted and emptied the little contents of her stomach onto the floorboards.  
"You need more rest. There's nothing to argue about." 'No kidding..', Meryl silently agreed as she allowed Vash to carry her bridal style to the bathroom. He gently set her down on the toilet and ran some cool water in the sink, searching for a clean washcloth while the water got colder. Meryl opened her eyes slightly and watched his hunt and then closed them again as he turned. She could hear him turn the faucet off then hand her a small cup to rinse the bile from her mouth. She did so, spitting the water down the train, then reaching for the washcloth. But Vash was adamant and he slapped it onto her forehead before she could snatch it away from him. They sat there for what seemed like hours in silence, rivulets of water running down Meryl's feverish forehead before she moved the washcloth from her pulsing forehead.  
"Vash..Why do you care so much?" She queried as he rung the excess water from the rag. He shrugged and smiled a cute, lop-sided grin that made her heart flutter and her stomach flip once mroe.  
"I don't know. There's a lot of reasons I suppose."  
"Do you care because I'm a friend? Do you care because...I'm...me?" There was silence and out of the corner of her eyes Meryl saw Vash move towards her. He wordlessly picked her up in his arms and carried her from the bathroom to the bedroom where he set her gently down on the sheets. As he pulled the covers over her and sleep began to set in on her, her leaned over and kissed her cheek.  
"Of course. I'll be here when you wake up and I promise..I'll do whatever I can." Meryl hadn't felt as good as did then in a long time and she fell asleep with a small spark of hope inside her tired body.  
  
Millie tiptoed away from Meryl's door, smiling down at Wolfwood as she climbed down the stairs. As she came eye to eye with the priest, he cast her a wary glance at her changed demeanor.  
"What's going on?"  
"I think that things are going to be just fine Mr. Wolfwood. Let's go unpack some groceries." Millie grabbed Wolfwood's hand and held it tight, flashing the priest a big grin as she dragged him to the kitchen.  
  
Well, I figured before I received DEATH threats that I better hurry up and finish this damn thing. I'm sorry, really, for the wait but I haven't been as heavy into Trigun as I have in the past although writing this ending wasn't as hard as I first thought it was going to be. It's been a great run and thank you all for sticking with me. If you guys are wondering, there will be a sequel, I've actually started writing it, but as to when I'm going to post it, is an entirely different story. We'll see, my schedule is pretty hectic nowadays. Whenever I get some spare time though, I'll be sure to work on it and do whatever I can. Wow...This is the FIRST story I have ever finished! It's a great feeling...sigh Once again, THANK YOU!!! And sorry sorry sorry for the wait...egads I know it was long..And I know there's some loose ends but like I said...SEQUEL!! lol Ciao! 


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